


Come to Me, My Sweetest Friend

by Lyssala



Series: Modern AU [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, Married Life, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-31 15:32:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 53,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8583865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyssala/pseuds/Lyssala
Summary: A collection of Tumblr requests that take place in an Alternative Modern Day Universe where Mikasa and Eren grew up as neighbors with both their parents still alive. Stories range from childhood to married with kids. Ratings vary by chapter; K-M.





	1. Haircut

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in a continual universe where all the stories while one shots all do connect into the same world. That being said I started these years ago not knowing I would ever do so many, so please forgive any continuity errors in age or characters meeting for the first time. These will be done in chronological order so if I write more post uploading this, new chapters may get inserted at places other than the end. 
> 
> You can find more of this universe in a few chapters of Feels Like Home ^^ Especially Chapter 69, I Should Be Over All the Butterflies because that's the story that originated this world.

_**realise-frenchfries** **:**  Hey, I don't know if your still doing requests now so you can take your time with this. But can you do a child!eremika fic where Mikasa gets something sticky stuck in her long hair and Eren tries to get it out. But its so stuck there's no other way than to cut a handful of her hair off. Mikasa's reaction is up to your imagination :)_

* * *

 

Eren really didn’t mean to do it, but apparently leaning over the edge of the couch to say something to Mikasa, who was on the floor, with gum in his mouth probably wasn’t the best idea. He tried to catch the pink piece of bubblegum before it hit her long black hair but it was too late. He sat up with his hands over his mouth.

“Oh my God, Mikasa, I’m sorry,” he said, staring wide eyed as she sat up from the book she had been reading on the floor.

Her hands pulled at her hair reaching for the wad of gum but the pink was already embedded in her thick hair, only a few strings coming out when she pulled at it. “It’s okay,” Mikasa said, though Eren could see the worry in her eyes. “It was an accident.”

Eren knew he had to do something; it was his fault after all. That and her mother would probably murder him when she got back from shopping with his mom. They’d only be gone for a few hours, satisfied the two ten year olds would be fine with Hannes next door if they needed anything. Eren thought about going to ask Hannes what to do but he had shorter hair than even Eren did; what would he know about long hair?

“Let me call, Armin,” Eren said jumping to his feet and running to the Ackerman’s kitchen where he knew the phone was. Armin’s hair wasn’t longer than Mikasa’s, Eren didn’t know anyone who had longer hair than Mikasa, but Armin’s hair was on the longer side so it was better than nothing. He quickly dialed up the familiar number and listened to it ring.

What was he gonna do? He didn’t really feel like getting yelled at today but even worse he felt like he really messed everything up for Mikasa. She had really pretty hair; it was so dark and soft, and he sometimes liked to just play with it when she was sitting near him. What if she’d never had pretty hair again because of him?

“Hello,” an older voice answered.

“Hello, Colonel,” Eren said recognizing Armin’s grandfather right away.

“Oh, hello, Eren. Are you and Mikasa okay over there?”

Geez, did Mrs. A tell everyone in the neighborhood they were here alone? “Ah, yeah,” Eren lied. “I just wanted to ask Armin something. Is he free?”

“Yeah, hang on a moment.”

Eren heard the Colonel call out for Armin and shortly thereafter the phone was being picked up again.

“Hey, Eren,” Armin said. “What’s up?”

Eren hesitated. Armin would probably see through anything Eren tried to say but as long as Armin didn’t tell his Grandpa they should be okay. “Hey, um, have you ever gotten anything stuck in your hair before? Like gum for instance?”

Armin was quiet for a moment. “You got gum in Mikasa’s hair didn’t you?”

“It was an accident,” Eren groaned. “Just tell me what to do to get it out. It’s already all stuck in here.”

Armin sighed. “I’ve never gotten anything stuck in my hair but from what I know the only way is to cut it out if it’s that stuck.”

Eren swallowed hard. Cut it out of her hair? “Okay, thanks, Armin.”

“But I think you should wait till someone gets home and have them do it, not you.”

Yeah, like that was gonna happen. “Sure thing.”

“You aren’t gonna listen to me, are you?”

“No, probably not. Thanks buddy, see you later.” Eren hung up the phone before Armin could get on Eren’s case more. Wait till their parents got home? No way. He’d be grounded for like a week and he probably wouldn’t be able to see Mikasa for a little while; that was just not happening. He had to fix it before their moms got home.

Eren searched through a few drawers in the kitchen before he found some scissors. They were a little big for his hand but he’d have to make them work. When he went back in the living room Mikasa was still sitting where he left her picking at the gum that was now practically imbedded in the strands of her hair, like a giant ball of gum and hair.

She looked up at him and down to the scissors he was holding. “Um, are you gonna cut it out?”

“Armin said it’s the only way,” Eren shrugged. “I don’t wanna but that can’t be very comfortable for you.”

Mikasa shook her head. “It keeps getting stuck to my shirt.”

Well, it was pretty low in her hair, the clustered ball of gum and hair hanging down below her shoulders. Maybe he could just cut out that section and it would be okay. “Okay, why don’t you hold your hair away from your face, okay?” Eren kneeled down in front of her, holding the scissors up. He hesitated though; she looked pretty calm for someone who was about to get a haircut from someone who had never even held scissors this big before. “Is this…okay?”

Mikasa nodded. “I trust you, Eren.”

She was the only one. Eren took a deep breath and lined up the scissors right above the mess of gum he made in her hair. He pressed down on the handle of the scissors and the blades slid against her soft hair, cutting up at an angle as opposed to a straight line like he wanted. The gum was drooping a bit more, some of her black hair falling in his lap. Trying not to panic Eren cut furiously at her hair trying to get the gum out but every time he tried the hair kept sliding. It was making a jagged hole right in the middle of her hair but he couldn’t stop now, he had to get the gum out.

The gum wad fell to the ground with a bunch of her hair.

Eren dropped the grip he had on her hair, letting it fall down her side and it looked pretty damn awful. He felt his stomach sink. Her long smooth hair was all jagged where he cut and was missing big chunks from it. You could probably see it a mile away.

“Is something wrong?” Mikasa asked, her dark eyes watching his.

“I’m sorry, Mika,” Eren said. “I think I have to cut off all your hair to make it even.”

“Oh,” she said, though she didn’t sound too heartbroken over it. “Like up to here?” She gestured to her shoulder which was right above Eren’s bad cutting job.

“Yeah, like that to get rid of where the gum got cut out.”

“Okay,” she said.

Eren’s forehead furrowed. “Aren’t you upset that I have to cut off all your hair?”

She shook her head and gave him a smile that made his stomach feel light. “Hair is just hair. It’ll grow back. Besides I don’t like having long hair. It gets too hot, and it takes too long to wash it and brush it. I think I’d like to give short hair a try.”

“Well, okay,” Eren said. “Turn around.”

Mikasa did as she was asked, turning until her back was facing him, the rest of her hair following. Eren felt nerves make his stomach tighten. He didn’t want to mess her hair up even more, but if she was okay with it he supposed it was okay. As carefully as he could he started to cut at her hair. Strands and chunks of black hair fell in his lap, on the floor, all around them. He bit down on his bottom lip as he tried to concentrate to get every cut even but it wasn’t as easy as it hairdressers made it look.

He ended up having to cut it higher than her shoulders because he kept messing up the angle but it was kinda even now at least and, well, maybe a little jagged too but it had to of looked better than that giant hole in her hair. “Okay,” he said dropping the scissors that left red indentation marks on his hand. “I’m done.”

Mikasa reached up to touch the uneven ends, shaking her head some to make the hair move. “My head feels so light,” Mikasa sighed. She turned around to face Eren a smile on her lips. “It feels so nice, thank you. Does it, um, look okay?”

Eren felt a little mesmerized as he looked at her. He saw Mikasa hundreds of times but his favorite was when she smiled, making her eyes bright. “Yeah,” he breathed. “You look pretty.”

Her face turned a little red but before he could understand why she turned back around jumping up to her feet to look at the mirror hanging up on the wall. “Oh, it’s nice, Eren, thank you.” She brushed her fingers along the edges and were it went lower around her ears cause he was afraid to cut them on accident. Mikasa turned back to face him. “I like it a lot.”

He had to smile at that.

“What happened in here?”

Okay, maybe not so much anymore. He looked up to see Mrs. Ackerman standing in the doorway, his mom behind her. Mrs. A certainly didn’t look like she really wanted to hear what actually happened, more like she just wanted to murder the both of them.

“Hi, Mom,” Mikasa waved like nothing was possibly wrong.

“Mikasa.” Mrs. A dropped her bags by the door walking over to Mikasa, and reached out to touch the ends of her hair. “What did you two do?”

“Oh,” Mikasa shrugged. “I got gum in my hair so I asked Eren to cut it off for me.”

Eren opened his mouth to protest. Typical Mikasa, she always tried to take the fall for him but it wasn’t her fault, it was his. If she was gonna get in trouble he should too. He didn’t get the chance to though.

“Mikasa,” Mrs. A sighed. “Why didn’t you wait till we got home? We could have taken you somewhere to get it cut now all your beautiful hair is gone.”

“I like it this way, Mom,” Mikasa said, shaking her head again to make her hair shake again. “I feel so much lighter.”

Mrs. A rubbed her hand over her face with another sigh.

“Well, Eren Jaeger,” his mom said, standing nearby. “I guess I know one thing you’re not gonna be when you get older. C’mon, I think it’s time for you to come home.”

Eren stood to his feet brushing Mikasa’s hair off his lap. “Bye, Mika,” he waved weakly knowing he was probably still gonna get in trouble with his own mom.

Mikasa ran past her mom and threw her arms around Eren’s neck, hugging tightly. “This is my favorite haircut. Bye, Eren.”

He felt his face heat up as he gave her a few pats on her back before Mrs. A called told Mikasa to get back over there. His mom tugged on his shoulder, leading him back across the street to his house.

“No, Mom!” he could hear Mikasa whine from inside her house, her voice close to tears. “I don’t wanna go to the hairdresser!”

His mom sighed, as they crossed the street. “You dropped your gum in her hair didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Eren mumbled.

“And then tried to cut it out.”

“She said it was okay,” Eren said crossing his arms against his chest. “She said she wanted short hair. I know it wasn’t that great, the scissors were too big and hair is really slippery but she liked it and…she looks pretty when she’s happy.”

His mom kneeled down in front of him on their front yard. She placed her hands on his shoulders. “I know you like to do everything that makes Mikasa happy, and that’s fine, but you have to be the man sometimes too and know what’s right and what’s not. She looks up to you so you have to take care of her too and make sure she makes the right decisions, you hear me?”

“Yeah, Ma, I hear you.”

“And absolutely no more scissors.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

When Mikasa came over his house the next morning with even shorter hair (and a much more even cut), Eren still thought Mikasa looked pretty. He’d never tell anyone ever but he took great satisfaction in the fact Mikasa never grew her hair out past her shoulders again.


	2. Prom Date

_**jazziisms** **:**  How aboooout Mikasa and Annie talking about the boyfriends (Eren and Armin), and little do they know that these dorks overheard their names being mentioned and decide to eavesdrop! Whether or not they get caught, your choice :3_

* * *

 

Eren had the ceiling over his bed practically memorized over the years of ether being sent to his room very unwillingly or laying awake at night doing anything but actually sleeping when his parents thought he was. Tonight it was particularly boring though and that was saying something because Armin was sitting just across the room in Eren’s desk chair.

“I’m bored, can we do something else?” he groaned, rolling over onto his stomach to look over at Armin who was reading a text book of sorts.

“It’s nearly midnight,” Armin said not bothering to look up. “Just what do you propose we do?”

“Something that’s not homework. It’s Friday night, Ar. There’s all weekend to do that.”

Armin did glance up that time, looking mildly amused. “By all weekend you mean cramming for finals on Sunday night, right?”

“Absolutely.” Eren dropped one of his arms over the side of his bed. “Besides, finals aren’t even this week, its…what? Next week?”

Armin snorted but he at least closed his…it looked like his Physical Science textbook but Eren didn’t care to look too much closer. “So what do you wanna do at midnight then?”

“What can’t you do at midnight?”

“That won’t end up with your mom waking up and lecturing us, quite a bit.”

Well, okay, maybe that was true. Eren pushed himself up so he could sit up on the sheets, one blanket tossed off to the side. It was a little warm in the early summer for more than sheets to sleep under, but Mikasa made him that fleece for Christmas a few years back and he always had a hard time packing it away for the summer.

“Got it,” he said, jumping off his bed and making the short distance to his window that faced the street. Armin already opened it to let the warm night air in so Eren could lean right to look at the familiar house across the street.

All the lights were off save for one in the upper left corner.

A smile pulled at his lips as he turned back to face Armin, who was waiting expectantly. “Mikasa’s still up, we can go hang out with her.”

“Should I start with all the reasons that’s not gonna work or are you not gonna listen to me anyway?” Armin didn’t look too terribly upset; he looked more amused than anything.

“C’mon. It’s Mikasa,” Eren snorted, reaching for his phone he left on his nightstand. “I doubt she’d care.”

“No, you’re right she probably wouldn’t but I’m fairly certain her parents banned you from sneaking into Mikasa’s room when we were twelve.”

Eren rolled his eyes, reaching for his doorknob. “And how many times have I not gotten caught.”

“That alone is a miracle considering you broke their vase trying to sneak in one night,” Armin said as he followed Eren out into the dark hallway.

“It was only cause her dad wasn’t home, and I’m pretty sure Mikasa blamed it on the cat.”

“She doesn’t have a cat.”

“You know her mom is not a morning person.”

The stairs creaked a little bit as they walked down them but Eren’s dad slept like the dead and his mom probably would’ve thought they were just sneaking down to the kitchen to eat which is exactly what Eren would tell her should she wake up. His parents never really seemed to care if Mikasa was over at any hour of the night regardless of age but her parents were always a little stricter in that regard. His dad said it was because they held different standards and not that they didn’t like Eren but he was also the one who learned how to climb the tree outside her window to see her so he suspected they did get annoyed with him.

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Armin asked when they reached the front door. Another easy one. They had no alarms or anything so just a flip of the deadlock and they were free outside.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I wanna see her?” Eren supposed it could be because he did see her in the morning to walk to school, and then all day at school, and then to walk home but that was school, but that was different. He loved hanging out with Armin, they knew each since they were born for God’s sake but Mikasa was different; she made everything a little…well, brighter he supposed.

“Annie’s over with her tonight. Did you conveniently forget?”

Shit. Eren’s hand was on the doorknob when he hesitated. He actually did forget, despite the fact Annie walked home with them today. It’s not like he didn’t like her; she was kinda dating his best friend but it was different when it wasn’t just the three of them, or even just him and Mikasa.

Whatever, Eren had nothing better to do here. He pulled open the door and let Armin go out first so Eren could carefully close it behind him. He really should’ve remembered to bring keys with him; it wouldn’t be the first time one of his parents woke up and locked him out for sneaking out at night. At least the light was still on in Mikasa’s room. He shoved his hands in his short pockets and started to walk across his yard, Armin following by his side.

“Annie probably won’t care, right?” Eren asked. It’s not like he wanted to ruin their girl’s night or whatever it was they were doing.

Armin shrugged. “Probably not. Her and Mikasa are going dress shopping for Junior Prom tomorrow anyways so we won’t really see them.”

Ice crept up into Eren’s chest as his stomach sank sharply nearly making him stop in the middle of the street. “Wait, did someone ask Mikasa to prom?”

Armin arched an eyebrow. “What did you think no one would? Or did you think just because you wanna sit at home and do nothing that she wouldn’t wanna go?”

“No,” Eren grunted, stepping into the Ackerman’s yard. “I just…” He wasn’t sure where he was going with that. He thought someone might ask her, sure, but did he think she’d say yes? Did he really think she’d just stay home? “Who was it?”

“I’m not having this discussion with you in her lawn at midnight,” Armin said, already walking over to the large tree next to her window. “Ask her yourself.”

Eren was feeling that familiar sort of dread and nausea he felt countless time when it came to facing the facts that someday she might not be his; which was of course stupid because it’s not like she was actually his or anything but it sure as hell felt shitty. Not that he could just tell Armin that, he’d probably just get on Eren’s case for not actually telling Mikasa how he felt. Yeah but like that was easy? “Ask her what?”

Armin was climbing up the tree branch by branch. “Figure it out, buddy.”

Some help he was. Eren grunted but he jumped up, grabbing the first branch he saw to hold his weight. It was familiar, but at the same time he hadn’t done it too often in recent years. It wasn’t like when they were kids and he couldn’t pick up his phone to text her or something. Granted, he also got in way more trouble for sneaking out at twelve then he did at seventeen.

Armin was already sitting near her window when Eren pulled himself up. The window was wide open, sound of soft music and Annie saying something filling the otherwise quiet night. He was about to motion for Armin to get in or knock or something not to give the girls a heart attack when he heard Mikasa.

“So Armin wouldn’t actually tell me,” she said. Even though Eren couldn’t see her from where he was crouched he could still hear the amusement in her voice, envision the small smile on her lips. “How did he ask you to go to prom with him?”

Armin rolled his eyes and moved to get into their sight but Eren stuck a hand out, making Armin’s back hit the side of the house. “Really?” he mouthed as Eren sat down on the thick part of the branch nearby, leaning back against the house to keep his balance as well.

“It was sweet really,” Annie said in that usual bored tone of hers. Eren knew her well enough to know that she wasn’t very expressive in her tone but in her eyes. “He found me in the library and slid a flower to me. Wrapped around it was a note that asked me to go with him, and said even though it was a library and we couldn’t really talk to use any method I felt necessary to respond.”

“What did you do?”

“I said yes out loud.”

Eren tried not to snort in laughter. That did sound like Annie. He reached over to poke Armin, who was looking a little red, a few times in the side. He quickly batted Eren’s hands away, giving him a look that said “Eren, stop it right now”.

Mikasa laughed, but it was halfhearted. “That’s very him and very you for that matter.”

“Mikasa,” Annie said, clearly picking up on Mikasa’s mood. “Why don’t you just ask him yourself? If you wait for him, you’ll be waiting years.”

Eren’s heart promptly stopped, his body going stiff against the bricks of her house. He was fairly certain he knew Mikasa really well, but he didn’t know she was waiting for someone, an obvious specific someone, to ask her? She never seemed that interested when guys did pay attention to her…well, he supposed he might’ve had a bad habit of scaring them away anyways. It’s not like it was his fault, okay, he had to look after her. She always looked after him when they were younger, it was only right to make sure no one would ever hurt her. The fact he might have feelings for her had nothing to do with it, nah.

Maybe this really was a bad idea.

“It’s not really his thing, you know?” Mikasa said, though Eren heard the disappointment laced in her voice. “I’d rather just go and have a good time alone.”

“So no one’s asked you?” Annie said.

“Ah, well, no, I’ve been asked.”

Armin’s hand across Eren’s chest which nearly made him jump and accidentally fall out of the tree. He scrambled to catch his balance but it was already off; he hadn’t realized he was leaning closer into where the window was. His hands clenched onto the tree branch as he leaned into Armin.

“And…?” Annie prompted.

“And nothing, I said no.”

Eren let out a breath he hadn’t even knew he was holding. The relief he felt only made him feel worse though. It’s not like he wanted Mikasa to be unhappy, if she wanted to go to their prom and have a good time then he wanted that for her but at the same time the thought of her dancing with just about any guy at their school save for Armin kinda made him wanna throw up and punch a hole in the wall at the same time. It really wasn’t pleasant.

“If that’s what you want,” Annie sighed. “But I think you’ve given him more than enough time. How long have you had a crush on him and he still hasn’t noticed? It’s not like you aren’t obvious. I knew the first day I ever met you.”

“Really, thanks, Annie, I appreciate it.”

Eren really did think he was gonna throw up now. He leaned into Armin who looked like he was trying not to laugh, the asshole. “Who the hell are they talking about?”

“God, Eren, I’m really not going there.”

“So what color dress do you wanna look for?” Mikasa said, clearly changing the subject.

“I dunno,” she answered. “Whatever I like I guess, but blue, um, you know, brings out Armin’s eyes. You?”

“Oh, I was thinking maybe…red?”

“That’s a little flashy for you. Especially if the person you want to impress isn’t even gonna be there.”

There was silence for a moment but Annie gasped and then snorted in laughter. “Thanks,” she said as a pillow hit the area under the window. Mikasa probably threw it at her, Annie then tossing it away.

“Mikasa, look, I won’t tell you what to do but if you don’t wanna tell him and he doesn’t catch on by himself, keep dreaming on that one, it might be time to put your childhood crush behind and move on.”

Mikasa didn’t say anything and Eren felt like his heart was in his throat. Were they…were they talking about him? No, that was stupid. She had far better taste then him of all people. That would…that would never happen.

Armin leaned in as he carefully moved to put his feet on the branch. “I suggest you do something before she gets to that point.”

“Hey, that’s not me-” Eren started but Armin was already crouched in front of the window, knocking.

“Hey, stranger,” Mikasa said, though she sounded like she was caught off guard. Granted she probably didn’t expect to see Armin sitting in her window. Eren hadn’t moved yet, he wasn’t sure if he could.

What if they were talking about him?

“Hey, sorry if I’m interrupting,” he said, stepping into her room.

“You’re fine,” Mikasa said.

“Yeah, but if he’s here Eren’s not too far away,” Annie said. “Am I wrong?”

Would that make him wanna tell her how he felt? If he knew she felt the same? Would it make the risk of being crushed, or hurting their friendship better?

Eren pushed himself to his feet, balancing over to the window. “Always a pleasure to see you too, Annie,” he said.

Would it change how he felt if it wasn’t him? Knowing that he let her go be with someone else and never even telling her how he felt? Would he even be able to handle seeing her with someone else and not being able to blame anyone but himself?

He pushed himself through the large window like he did countless times before, Mikasa’s room looking exactly the same as it did the last time he saw it a few days ago. Annie was sitting off to the side in Mikasa’s papsan chair and Mikasa was sitting on her bed in her pajamas, clutching a pillow to her stomach as she looked over at him.

“What calls for the sudden, and technically illegal in my house, visit?” she asked, reaching a hand up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear; it was her nervous habit.

“We were bored,” Eren shrugged, trying to ignore the way his heart was racing in his chest. “And saw your light was on.”

“And you couldn’t just pick up the phone and call?” Annie asked while Armin took a seat on the floor near her.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

Mikasa rolled her eyes but she was smiling and everything seemed a little bit better. “You really want my dad to kick you out again?”

“Mik, you’re dad’s been kicking me out since we were kids. That’ll never change.” Eren walked over the short distance to her bed where he flopped down, eyes looking up. Her ceiling was so much more interesting than his was, and her sheets smelt like her, vanilla and strawberries. It maybe was a weird thing to recognize but he always noticed when it wasn’t around, when she wasn’t there.

Was the risk worth it?

He turned his head to see her watching him. “What?” he asked, propping himself up some on his elbows.

She shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Annie,” Armin said. “Eren actually forgot you were here when he hatched this grand plan.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not surprised.”

“Hey, I asked Armin when he politely reminded me and he said you wouldn’t care,” Eren said, pointing over to Armin.

“Am I wrong?” he asked, looking up at Annie.

She gave him that blank stare for a moment before a smile pulled at her lips. “No.”

“See, no issues,” Armin laughed while Annie kicked him lightly in the back.

Mikasa smiled as she said something back to Armin, though what it was Eren didn’t quite catch. All he could see was how bright her eyes looked when she laughed, all he could feel was how easy it was to be around her. She was probably the best person he knew, someone he always wanted to be around.

Was the risk worth it? If there was one thing Eren learned over the years it was, yeah, she was always worth it.

“I, um, I heard you guys are gonna go dress shopping tomorrow,” he said. His throat felt try, his hands were starting to sweat. This was it, this had to be it. He had to try, even just once.

“Why do you care?” Annie said. “You’re staying home to be no fun.”

“I don’t appreciate that, Annie,” Eren said. “And maybe I changed my mind, how do you know?”

“Did you?” Mikasa asked, her eyes watching him. “Did you change your mind?”

“Yeah, I mean, you guys are going. I can’t let you have all the fun.”

“Charming, Eren,” Armin snorted. He was using his hand to make a circular motion. Keep going, he was saying.

“And well, I thought if…” Oh God, he was fairly certain he was gonna throw up when he met her eyes watching him in surprise. “You weren’t going with anyone already, Mik, we could, you know, go together. If you wanted.”  

She blinked at him. “Are you asking me to go with you to prom?”

“I, well, yeah, that’s what I said.” He tried not to sputter his words, but it was a little hard when he thought his heart was gonna pound through his chest like an Alien or something. Okay, bad idea to think of that now. “If you wanted to.”

“Are you sure that’s what you asked, Eren?” Annie said, a smug smile she had to have learned from Armin on her lips. “I couldn’t really tell through all the mumbling.”

“I hate you, Annie.” It was too late, her and Armin were practically on the floor trying not to laugh. Some friends they were.

He huffed and looked back to Mikasa, who was still watching him. “Are you sure?” she asked, teeth biting down on her lower lip.

He knew she wasn’t asking if he was sure about going to prom with her. She was asking about all the implications that went along with asking someone out like this. It was terrifying how much he felt for her, how much he wanted something like this to work, how much he just wanted to kiss her just because he could, to go to bed and know that she’d be there waiting for him in the morning.

“Absolutely,” he said, probably a stupid smile pulling at his lips.

She laughed in surprise maybe, cause she looked pretty shocked to be honest. “Okay,” she said. “Yeah, I’d love to go with you.”

“Okay,” he said, smile getting stupider by the moment.

“Okay,” Mikasa laughed.

He didn’t know what he should do really now that it was said out there in the open, that they technically just agreed to their first date but he didn’t really get the chance when his phone started to ring. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket to see who the hell would be calling him at past midnight.

The high he had been feeling sunk as soon as it came. Shit. He slid his finger across the screen and held it up to his ear, his other hand reaching up to rub at his face. “Hey, Mr. A, what can I do for you this fine hour?”

Armin snorted so loud Eren was pretty sure if her parents weren’t clearly awake they were now, while Annie just looked indifferent; of course she didn’t quite have as long of a history with Mikasa’s parents. She looked like she didn’t know whether to laugh or be horrified, knowing she wouldn’t get off the hook for letting them in.

“As much as I appreciate you testing to see how well our security is, it’s way too late, Eren. Go home.”

Eren opened his mouth but couldn’t even get a word out.

“Don’t bother with the excuses, I was in the study, so I heard you and Armin both come in. I let you have a few moments, but you know the rules. You can come over in the morning for breakfast if you really want to be here that bad.”

“Will you make waffles?”

Mikasa breathed a sigh of relief that they weren’t getting yelled at this time at least.

“How about you make the waffles, since you were the one doing something you shouldn’t.”

“I think I can handle that.”

“I just hope you’re better at making waffles than you are asking my daughter to go to prom with you.”

Eren felt his face heat up rapidly. He swore that man was Superman in disguise or something, he heard everything. “Think it’s time to go, Mr. A.”

“Me too, Eren. And through the front door please.”

Eren shoved his phone back in his pocket, as he pushed himself up from Mikasa’s bed. “Okay, well, we’ve got to go but I’ll see you in the morning to make breakfast.”

“Guess we’ll see you tomorrow morning then,” Armin said, stretching his arms over his head.

“That’s significantly better than the last time he caught you here,” Mikasa said.

“Yeah, well, even he has his good moods.” Eren decided to leave out he was pretty sure her dad was having pity on him, and that if this…if they were a thing now that would probably never happen again.

His breath was caught in his throat at the thought. This was real. This was actually happening. Okay, so it’s not like he professed his undying love for her or anything, but it was a step in the right implication.

“So,” Eren turned to look at Mikasa who was still on her bed when Armin leaned in to kiss Annie goodnight. “See you in the morning?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I actually like your waffles.”

“Oh, thank you I’m glad I’ll have one person who’ll eat them.” He turned to the door when Armin started to walk away, waving to Mikasa as he did. Eren looked back at her as she waved. He couldn’t resist himself. “Hey, Mik?”

“Yeah?”

“I really think red’s your color.”

It was like he watched the realization set in on her.

She had both her hands over her mouth but he could still see her smiling. “You were listening, you ass!”

“Shh, Mikasa, your mom’s still asleep. Don’t wanna wake her up too.”

He was halfway out the door when the pillow hit him in the chest. Eren picked it up from off the floor, looking over to her. She was still making a half hearted attempt to be mad at him but her eyes lit up; she was happy.

He was too, more than he thought he could be over going to a stupid dance. “Night, Mikasa.” He tossed her back her pillow which she caught.

“Goodnight.” When she smiled, Eren might’ve forgotten how to breathe.

What time was breakfast again?


	3. The Sinners Are Much More Fun

_I wrote this on a total whim after listening to one of my favorite songs. “Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel is my modern AU Eren haha and hearing it again I instantly thought of the opening scene to this story (and I haven’t written them getting into trouble recently either lol). I was super happy to write this out and I’m so glad I went with my gut to write it, it was a lot of fun ^^_

* * *

 

It wasn’t like Eren never went the short distance across the street to see Mikasa before. He did it countless times, but admittedly not often at 3am and not always at the side of her house where her window was. The moon and stars shone brightly in the dark sky over head, illuminating the house enough to know it was the right window. That’s all he needed to do; mean to knock on her window and knock on her parent’s window instead. Luckily, he knew exactly which one was hers.

He looked up at the window which was completely dark meaning Mikasa was a reasonable person and already in bed. Eren rubbed his hands together and reached for the lowest limb on the tree that was oh so conveniently placed on her side of the house.

The night breeze blew by him as he carefully climbed all the branches that would bring him right up to her closed window. It was the dead of summer so even the early hours of the morning were nothing but warm; he did regret his choice of short sleeved t-shirt and long shorts when he kept feeling the bark scratch him as he moved up. A few times the branches creaked like they were gonna give out but thankfully he made it to the thick branch that stretched out in front of the window (and not on the ground which would only lead to the most embarrassing of all situations).

He carefully reached out and knocked on her window. Mikasa was a light sleeper so he knew she’d wake up if he did it enough times, he just hoped not enough to scare her and bring a bat to the window or something. It only took about a minute or so of sporadic knocking until he heard movement in her room. No lights were turned on, but he saw her ever familiar figure walking towards the window.

Eren actually had to make sure he didn’t fall out of the tree at the sight of her. Even with sleep tossed hair, an oversized shirt (that was most definitely his) that hung so far down it nearly covered the shorts she was wearing underneath, and a confused look on her face she was still the most beautiful girl he knew.

Her hands reached to pull open the window, eyes blinking at the brightness of the stars. “Eren?” she asked in a small, surprised voice. “What’re you doing in my tree?”

“Get dressed,” he said, a smile pulling at his lips. “And come down with me.”

She blinked at him. “What time is it?”

“3am or so.”

“How are you so awake?”

“Lots of coffee compliments of my mom’s secret stash. C’mon, let’s go.” He had to resist the urge to lean in and kiss her, mainly because he was pretty sure if he did he would fall.

“Go where?” she asked, though her voice was much more hushed this time.

“You’ll just have to trust me.” He gave her a smile and he could tell by the look in her eyes he just about won her over.

“Eren, my parents will kill us if they found out we snuck off at 2 in the morning.”

He leaned in towards her as far as he could, putting on what he hoped was a charming smile (either that or he just looked ridiculous which he was pretty sure he already did sitting in a tree outside a window). “Well, Mik, you know what they say, only the good die young.”

A smile cracked at her lips. “Get out of the tree before I push you out.”

“Good deal.” Eren started to climb back down when Mikasa turned away from the window. Either she was gonna come with him or she was gonna leave him out here for being an idiot which, well, either option was possible with her. Thankfully after just a few moments he watched the branches of the tree shake as Mikasa climbed down, dressed in some shorts and a hoodie.

His heart skipped when her feet landed on the ground in front of him, eyes looking up to meet his. Eren extended his hand to her and she took it with that small smile of hers, lacing her fingers with his. He tugged her into his side as he led her off the lawn and onto the sidewalk on their street.

“So just where’re you taking me?” she asked, and he didn’t need to look over to see the amused look on her face.

“It’s a surprise,” he said simply.

“You can’t keep surprises.”

“Liar, I can too.”

“Eren, I’ve never actually had a surprise birthday party no matter how many times people tried because you always told me.”

“Is it my fault I’ve always been excited to share things with you?”

She laughed and hit him on the arm; Mikasa’s universal way of saying, “Eren, knock it off, you’re ridiculous”.

It hadn’t really even been that long; a few months maybe since they moved from childhood friends to something much, much more. It was admittedly a little awkward at first, finding that footing from the girl he used to trip in tag just so he could get ahead to the girl he just wanted to kiss all the time. It didn’t take them too long to ease back into that comfortable relationship they always had, just this time with more body contact (which he loved). It still didn’t matter how short or long they were together, if Eren knew anything it was that he was the luckiest guy in the world to have the girl of his dreams be his best friend too.

He only wanted to be able to express that to her, but he was never the best with his words especially when it came to Mikasa. He pissed her off and offended her more times than he could count without ever even knowing it, but this, this he didn’t wanna mess up.

“This way,” he said, cutting the comfortable silence between them, to lead her down another street.

“Should we really be wandering this far away at night?” Mikasa didn’t sound too concerned, more like she was saying it because she felt like someone had to be reasonable.

“This neighborhood is harmless,” Eren shrugged but glanced over at her. “Besides what degree black belt are you again?”

She shoved him that time, but not all that hard. “Fending off people in the middle of the night is not exactly why I did it.”

“But it comes in handy.”

She laughed that time and rolled her eyes. “Will you just tell me where’re we’re going?”

Eren pointed straight ahead to a stone archway that led into a new area surrounded by dark trees, even the bright green grass the stretched out looked dark in the nightlights.

“The park?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

“Yep.” He turned to face her and grabbed her other hand in his, leading her in while he walked backwards under the arch and into the park they used to play in almost every day as kids.

“We really are gonna get murdered aren’t we.” Her tone was serious but her face betrayed her. She was smiling and her eyes looked even brighter in the moonlight.

“Of course not.” He pulled her in until her warm body was pressed up against his. Eren tilted his head down until his lips met hers. He had to resist the urge to just stay standing there all night; the thought was so tempting.

“So what’s so special about the park?” she asked when he pulled away.

“You don’t give up do you?”

“You should know this by now.”

He laughed and started to take her through the green grass, his destination in sight. “It’s right up here, okay?”

Mikasa squinted past the playground to try and see whatever it was he saw. “The clearing?”

“Race you.”

She looked up at him, probably to figure out if he was serious. Of course, he knew she couldn’t resist any sort of challenge and she was off, sandals sliding against the grass as she did.

Eren wasn’t sure there was ever a time he was faster than she was but he followed after her, through the sand of the playground, ducking under the monkey bars, Mikasa’s black hair bouncing on her neck in front of him. He admittedly almost tripped on the wood that kept the sand in but she was so focused on getting up the hill she didn’t notice (thankfully).

She flew past the group of trees that blocked the area from most of the park’s view and by the time Eren came to a stop she was already facing him in the center of the small clearing, a victorious smile on her lips.

“You win,” he breathed. “Not that I’m really all that surprised.” With a grunt, he sprawled himself out on the warm grass, eyes looking up at the perfectly clear sky. Him, Armin, and Mikasa used to sneak up here when they wanted to talk about something super-secret or give one of the parents a quick heart attack. They had been scolded and banned from coming back here so much that naturally they came here all the time at kids.

Mikasa sat down and stretched her legs out before leaning back onto the ground with him. She rested her head on his chest, his open arm coming up to wrap around her waist. She breathed in the refreshing air that the night often brought and sighed. “Okay, this is nice.”

“See, sometimes I know what I’m doing.”

She chuckled, her eyes looking up at the sky above them. “Remember that one time your mom almost murdered you for hiding back here?”

“To be fair, she was already pissed off so she really couldn’t blame me for hiding in the first place. In fact she’ll probably be pissed off again in the morning considering I’m supposed to help her clean the house and not sleep till noon.”

“Eren,” she said, but it was lacking any sort of scolding behind it. “You’re lucky you’re the only child so if she murders you she’d have no children, and you know Carla can’t live with that.”

“I thank whatever god exists for it every day.”

She chuckled, but fell silent after that which was fine; silence was always comfortable with her.

He felt his heart leap up into his throat. Eren didn’t actually have much of a plan. He knew what he wanted to say to her, and really taking her out in the middle of the night came to him about two hours ago when he saw how beautiful the sky was. All he knew was he didn’t want to take the words lightly.

It really wasn’t even the first time he said them to her but this time it wouldn’t just be “I love you, you’re the best!” but “I’m in love with you, I could spend rest of my life with you”. It was one strong phrase, one that made him feel like he couldn’t breathe. He knew how he felt but what if she didn’t feel the same way? Or wasn’t there yet?

He supposed it didn’t really matter. It was how he felt, God, how he felt for he didn’t even really know how long.

“Hey, Mikasa?” he said, his voice coming out much quieter than expected.

“Yeah?”

“I, um, I love you, you know.”

Okay, so not so eloquent but he did feel a little bit of relief leave his chest.

Her hand was tracing circles on his chest, eyes up at the sky but he still felt the hitch in her breath. “I love you too.”

He felt breathless but exhilarated at the same time, like he wanted to just lean over and kiss her but he was also torn with disbelief. That was the part that won. “Really?” he sputtered.

“Yes, Eren,” she laughed and lifted her head so she was looking at him. “Why? Is that hard to believe?”

He rolled over on his side so he was facing her, legs bumping into hers. “Well, frankly, yeah. I am, you know, me.”

“I know that.” She reached up to cup his face in her hands. “That’s what I love about you. That’re you’re you, idiot.”

Mikasa melted into him when he leaned his head down to kiss her. His heart was still pounding in his chest, his body feeling light, his head in some outer space world where this gorgeous girl who was way, way too good for him loved him. He could kiss her all night long and, God, did he want to.  

She gave him that one smile, the big one that took his breath away because he knew not everyone got to see that side of her. She gave him a quick peck to the lips before resting her head on his shoulder and pulling herself closer to him. He rolled his head against hers, and let his eyes shut, completely content in that moment.

To be fair, he really was gonna take her back to her house after a little while outside. He didn’t wanna make anyone worry about her or him, so he wasn’t sure when he fell asleep or when she did but he sure as hell remembered when he woke up.

The sun was so bright he had to squint to actually see. He still felt Mikasa in his arms; her body made his arm go completely numb at some point. His clothes were wet from the dew on the grass, and every part of his body hurt from sleeping for God knows how long on the hard ground.

Oh God.

Before he could properly panic, something blocked the sun, a shadow falling over their faces. Mikasa was moving slightly, probably trying to wake herself up too. He blinked up at the figure, the very familiar figure.

Well, shit.

“Hey, Mr. A,” Eren said weakly, not even daring to sit up off the ground. Mikasa’s hand was on his chest grabbing onto his shirt, probably in a mix of shock and horror.

“What the hell are you two doing?” Mr. Ackerman asked in that ridiculously calm but terrifyingly stern cop voice of his. It was even worse when Eren realized Mr. A was decked out in his full uniform.

“Oh, you know. Just enjoying the um, bright morning?”

Mr. Ackerman arched an eyebrow, looking even more intimidating than he already did. Oh well, at least Eren would die knowing Mikasa knew he loved her. Despite this whole terrible situation he couldn’t help but feel his chest get warmer at the thought.

“How long have you been out here.” It wasn’t a question clearly.

“Um, since around, say…” Eren winced in anticipation. “2am?” He was pretty sure he hadn’t seen Mr. A’s  forehead vein throb like that in a while.

Mikasa sat up, her hands pulling at her sweater. “Dad-” she tired but one look from the not so happy cop silenced her on the matter.

“I was gonna bring her back long before sunrise,” Eren cut in sitting up onto his elbows, and trying to get feeling back in his arm in case he had to run for his life. “We just kinda…fell asleep.”

“Outside, in a park, where anyone could’ve found you and done God knows what. Do you ever even think?”

“Um, good news though.” Eren sat himself up fully though he regretted it when Mr. A crossed his arms against his chest. “We’re still alive?”

“Go, both of you go home.” Mr. Ackerman looked thoroughly done with the both of them as he pointed to Mikasa. “Your mother is worried sick considering she was the one who found your window open and you gone.” He turned to Eren. “And your parents are admittedly less worried about you since it’s not the first time, Eren Jaeger, but you have my daughter to take care of now not just yourself so you damn well better start thinking before you pull her into this kinda shit. You hear me?”

“Yes, sir,” Eren murmured, guilt swirling in the pit of his stomach. He reached up to scratch the back of his head. He’d never actually put Mikasa in any sort of danger but he supposed how falling asleep in the near woods without telling anyone where they were going could be kinda reckless. In hindsight there may’ve been other ways to surprise her.

“Go,” Mr. A sighed as he pulled out his radio off his hip.

Both Mikasa and Eren scrambled to their feet ready to run before he came after them again; granted Eren was probably gonna get yelled at again by his parents the moment he walked in the door anyway.

“I found them,” Mr. A said to whoever was on the other end. “Just being dumb teenagers, they’re on their way home now.”

Eren admittedly walked much faster than usual, Mikasa keeping up with him, her face almost a tomato shade of red and he probably wasn’t much better. “Here,” he said, stopping in front of her and reaching his hands back. “Jump on, I got you into this mess, I’ll carry you back.”

“Eren, it’s okay.”

“C’mon, hurry up before he comes back out.”

Mikasa jumped up and into Eren’s arms, her arms wrapping around his neck and legs on his waist as he started to walk back the way they came hours ago.

The park was filled with more people now, parents watching their kids on the playground and staring at Eren and Mikasa. Probably because a cop when back there and two teenagers came out. Maybe he really should think about things a little bit better.

“Hey, Mik, I’m sorry I got you into this. I should’ve been more responsible about it and not do things on such a whim.”

She was quiet for a moment but she leaned forward till her lips were at his ear. “Only the good die young.”

A smile pulled at his lips. God, did he love her.


	4. The Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated T for talk of Sexual Situations

_**Anonymous:**  I think we need more Carla/Eren interactions. She's the best mom tbh_

* * *

 

“Any reason you didn’t want to go grocery shopping alone?” Eren asked from his spot in the passenger seat glancing over at Carla. “Cause normally you ban me from coming.”

Carla laughed. “Is there something wrong with wanting to spend time with my son while he’s still on break?”

Eren eyed her, probably thinking she was up to something which was not the case. Mostly.

“Oh fine,” Carla said. “What time is Mikasa coming over?”

“4pm when she gets home from practice.”

“We have plenty of time then, stop whining.”

Eren snorted but he didn’t say anything else, he just leaned back in his seat and looked down at his phone. Carla could remember when he couldn’t even sit in the front seat, when he was in his car seat calling out all the colors of the cars. Now he was as tall as her and could probably carry him around like she did to him. He wasn’t a little boy; he was nearly eighteen years old and growing up fast. Very fast judging by the condom wrappers she found in his pants pocket.

Okay, maybe she did have an ulterior motive. She just wanted to make sure they were being safe and that everything was healthy. It wasn’t like she didn’t know this day would come; he was a teenage boy who had been in love with the girl next door for longer than he probably knew. It was always bound to happen, and that was okay. It was normal.

She just didn’t know how to bring it up to him.

“So when’s Mikasa’s winter recital?” There, start with something casual.

“In a few weeks,” Eren said. “She marked it on the calendar for you.”

“Okay,” Carla nodded and left out that she already bought her and Grisha’s tickets. “Are you doing anything special for her afterwards?”

Eren looked up from his phone. “Well, I mean I’ll take her out to dinner if she’s hungry.”

“Anything after that?”

His forehead furrowed. “No? Am I supposed to?”

Carla should’ve known a subtle approach wouldn’t work well with even if Eren wanted to tell her, which he probably didn’t. “No, no, you know what she likes.”

Eren seemed satisfied with that and went back to his phone.

Maybe Carla could try something just a little more direct. “Oh, I may have to run back out tonight and your father is working late. You and Mikasa okay to be by yourselves for a bit?”

Eren didn’t even blink. “Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

“You won’t need anything?” When did he get so good at keeping emotional responses in?

“Probably not, we can just put in a movie or something.”

“Oh for Christ’s sake, Eren, I found condom wrappers in your pocket.”

That got the reaction she was looking for. He slowly looked up, face a mix of pale and flushed. “I didn’t…they’re not…”

“Will you relax?” Care said looking over to his wide eyes. “I’m not upset. It’s perfectly normal at your age.”

“Okay?” Eren looked like he didn’t quite believe her about not being upset.

“The only reason I brought it up is because while it is normal, you two are still young and I want to make sure you’re always being safe and that it’s always healthy on both ends.”

He was quiet for a moment before he cleared his throat. “No offense, Mom, but shouldn’t Dad be talking to me about this?”

“Oh please, Eren, do you want to listen to the scientific details and terms of sex all over again?”

“True enough,” he mumbled face still red. He paused for a moment. “Do we have to do this?”

“Me or him, take your pick.”

“Fine,” he groaned, the back of his head hitting the head rest. “I want you to know this is humiliating but what do you wanna know?”

“There is nothing embarrassing about sex, especially when it’s with someone you care for and love. There is nothing to be ashamed of, got it?”

“Yeah, Ma, I got it.”

Carla slowed the car down so she could turn onto the highway, hoping Eren didn’t notice she was intentionally taking him to a grocery store that was farther was than the normal one. “So,” she said, setting her speed in the middle lane. “How long?”

Eren shrugged, his eyes staring out the window. “I dunno. A few months maybe.”

“And you always use protection?”

He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. “Yes, Mom.”

“You aren’t just telling me that so I won’t push the subject further?”

He did turn to look at her that time. “I have the box to prove it, would you like to see that too?”

Carla snorted. “Stop being dramatic. This is a normal conversation.”

“For you maybe, you’re a nurse.” Eren rolled his eyes, leaning his head against his hand, elbow up against the door. “How many times have you had this talk?”

“It’s very different when it’s two people I love very much.”

“Which means you’ll be nosier.”

“I’m your mother, Eren, it’s my right.”

“I’m not sure that’s how this works.”

“You can make your own parenting choices when you have kids of your own.” Carla paused. “Though speaking of that, birth control is much more effective against pregnancy. Condoms are more for STIs, which I would assume the neither of you have to worry about.”

“If that’s your way of asking if either of us had sex before, uh, our first time then the answer is no.”

Carla really wasn’t surprised. Mikasa was Eren’s first love and him hers; it was always bound to be with each other. “Has she ever looked into getting another form of birth control?”

Eren glanced over to Carla. “She can’t. She’d have to tell her parents to get an appointment, then it would go on their insurance and then I’m pretty sure they’d murder me.”

“I know some free clinics that can help her get a prescription. Just have her come talk to me. You or her can always come come talk to me okay? I do happen to know a lot about this stuff.”

“Okay, Ma.”

Carla looked over at him. “You can always come talk to me, no matter what okay? You’re my son and you know I love Mikasa too. You always have a safe place with me and your father.”

Eren snorted. “Are you telling me to come to you if I get her pregnant?”

“Of course I am. So many kids find themselves in that situation with no one to turn to and make rash, uneducated decisions because of it. I have plenty of resources and clinics to help with just about any choice Mikasa could make on the matter. Have you ever talked about that? About what you would do if that happened?”

“Ah, no, not really.”

“You should, it’s always good to have a plan in case, though I hope it doesn’t happen until you’re good and ready for it.”

“Alright.” Eren looked up to her. “Uh, thanks.”

“Of course.” There, that felt much better. She never wanted Eren or Mikasa to be afraid to come to her for anything, including this. Eren seemed to be okay now too; he was back to looking down at his phone, his posture relaxed. That was probably about to change again.

“Eren?” she asked, taking the exit off the highway.

“Yeah?”

“You’re sure to take care of her too, right?”

“Oh my God, Mom.”

“I’m serious! If you don’t know how to pleasure your woman then you’re in for a world of displeasure.”

Eren groaned his head against the headrest again. “Yes, I always make sure of it, however it may be. Are you satisfied now?”

“I don’t think the point of the question was whether I was satisfied or not.”

“I’m never getting in the car with you again.”

Carla chuckled as she pulled into the grocery store parking lot. She was pretty sure Eren jumped out the moment she parked the car. She grabbed her purse and the list before following him outside. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” She locked the car before walking over to where he was standing.

“Says you,” he grunted.

Carla laughed and dropped an arm over her son’s shoulders even though he was as tall as she was. “Oh stop it.” She pulled him in so his head hit hers, even though he was trying to avoid it. “I only do it because I love you, sweetheart.”

“Alright, alright,” he said. Even though he was trying to get out of her grasp he did wait until she kissed him on the cheek before pulling away. “Love you too, Ma.”

“Besides,” she said while Eren went to pull out a shopping cart for her. “I’m glad you’ve found someone you can share your love and raging hormones with.”

“I swear to God, Mom, you owe me the largest pizza available for dinner tonight.”

They grow up so fast. It seemed like yesterday Eren barely noticed Mikasa was a girl. It made some mothers sad but it just made Carla smile as she followed Eren into the store. She was proud of the man he was growing into, how could that be sad?

“I’m sure I can arrange something.”


	5. Fancy Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated T for Sexual Situations. This goes for the next few chapters. I'm not sure how but all the college ages prompts I have in this AU happen to be smutty? WHOOPS

_**Anonymous:** "I know we're at a fancy dinner with my parents right now but you look way too damn good in that button up for me to keep my hands off you" Imagine this in your au at some dinner thing with Mikasa's parents lmao and with Mikasa's dad being a cop..yikes hahahahah_

* * *

Mikasa tried to smile and nod at her mother who was sitting across the table talking but in all honesty, Mikasa had no idea what her mom just said. It’s not like Mikasa didn’t want to have dinner with her parents; now that she was in college it was so hard to come home and visit. She missed them, and she knew they missed her. She drove all the way out from campus to be able to have this dinner with them before she just had to drive back so she could work on a paper that was due Monday. Mikasa wanted to spend this time with her parents; she was just having a difficult time concentrating.

An elbow nudged her arm and Mikasa looked over to Eren who was sitting next to her, spoon from his soup in his hand as his eyes met hers. Her breath caught in her throat. This was all Eren’s fault. Sure she told him to dress nice but he didn’t have to listen to her so well. His hair was still as messy as always though it had more of a stylized fall to it tonight. Instead of his usual t-shirt and jeans he wore black slacks, a simple white button up and vest that not only made his eyes shine a little more but almost perfectly accented his arms, broad shoulders, chest. Mikasa had known Eren since they were kids and he was always attractive to her, but sometimes he just took her breath away. Tonight was one of those nights. He looked gorgeous. Try sitting next to your absolutely beautiful boyfriend across from your parents all night; it’s not as easy as it looks.

Eren nodded over to her dad who was watching the both of them, a smile on his lips though his forehead was furrowed a bit.

“I’m sorry, Dad, what was that?”Mikasa asked, forcing back a smile.

“Is something wrong, Mikasa?” Tom asked, leaning his forearms on the table, a sign he was trying to interrogate her in the nicest way possible.

“No, not at all. I’m sorry I’m just a little tired today. It was a long week, you know?”

“Leave her alone, Tom,” Vita said giving a light hit to her husband’s arm. “It’s hard being a freshman in college; it’s a whole new experience.”

Mikasa felt Eren watching her and she turned her head to give him a smile though she knew he could probably see right through her like always. She dropped her hand to his leg under the table to let him know it was fine, she was fine. Mikasa did have every intention of letting that be it, but he put his hand over hers, lacing his fingers with hers against his leg and she found it hard to breathe.

“It’s the first year of many,” Tom said with a smile. “Well, longer for some. Ready to be in school for a very long time, Eren?”

“Not even a little,” he said with a groan sending a shiver down Mikasa’s spine.

“You’re a smart boy, Eren, you’ll be just fine,” Vita said.

“I bet that’s the first time you ever said that,” Eren snorted, reaching his free hand for his drink.

“Oh stop it,” Vita laughed. “You were always a handful, yes, but you weren’t a bad kid.”

Mikasa traced small circles against his leg, his hand still holding onto hers. “See you’ve taken a drastic change from when we first started dating, Mom.”

“Don’t you start,” Vita said, pointing to Mikasa. “He was your first serious boyfriend, someone you had a crush on for years, and he was the boy next door. I didn’t want you to get your heart broken. That was nothing against Eren.”

Mikasa dipped a few of her fingers over to his inner thigh, slowly rubbing the skin through his pants. Okay, maybe not super appropriate with her parents right there but was it her fault he had to dress so nice tonight?

“Mrs. A, I’m offended you’d think that of me,” Eren said though the easy smile on his face said otherwise.

“Probably because the week before you were skinny dipping in the pond behind Kirstein’s house,” Tom said.

“True enough,” Eren leaned back in his chair, no reaction on his face to Mikasa’s hand that she was moving up his leg. “But that was a dare, doesn’t count.”

“Speaking of the Kirsteins,” Vita cleared her throat obviously trying to change the subject. “How’s Jean doing? He’s at your university isn’t he?”

“Unfortunately,” Eren said reaching for his glass of water.

“Eren,” Mikasa laughed, tapping her finger against his thigh. “He’s your roommate.”

“Even more unfortunate.” Eren went to take a sip of water at the same time Mikasa brushed her fingers across his crotch. He must’ve not expected it because he nearly spit his water all over the table.

“Oh, dear,” Vita said passing a napkin as Eren choked on his mouthful of water. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Eren coughed, though not without a side eye to Mikasa who moved her hand to rub his back. “Just went down the wrong pipe.”

“How are classes going for you then?” Tom asked, taking a sip from his own water.

“The usual,” Eren answered, dropping his napkin on the table and settling back in his seat. “Long and boring.”

Mikasa placed her hand back in Eren’s lap, though she felt him tense up this time. Obviously he caught the hint.

“Well, you’re in for a lot of long and boring, son,” Tom said.

“I know,” Eren said and Mikasa didn’t miss the hitch in his breath when she dragged her fingers on the inside of his thigh. “But it’ll be worth it to take care of your daughter.”

“Stop being a suck up,” Vita laughed. “We’ve known you since you were nine years old.”

“All the more reason to suck up now.”

Mikasa made sure he wasn’t drinking when she reached her fingers out over his crotch again; this time she was met with a bit more than him choking on water. Careful not to jostle the tablecloth too much she pressed her palm down against his growing erection. He must’ve been prepared this time because his outward appearance didn’t change at all.

“You’ve been quiet, Mikasa,” Vita said. “Is everything going well for you?”

Would be better if Mikasa was in Eren’s dorm, her back on his familiar bed and his hands pushing the skirt of her dress up to her hips. “Yeah, classes are fine.” Heat swirled in the pit of her stomach as her thumb reached down to brush over his tip through his slacks. She watched a visible shiver go down his spine. “We have a class together this semester you know.”

“Do you? What is it?” Vita asked.

Eren snorted. “Our gym credit. Don’t ask me how she talked me into it.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever been able to say no to her,” Tom chuckled. “Even when you were kids Mikasa ran the roost.”

"And that…” Eren paused taking in a sudden breath when Mikasa grabbed at him, palm rubbing down in slow circles that she knew was probably driving him crazy. “Has never changed.” He glanced over to her to give her a smile but his eyes only told her how much she was gonna get it for this.

Now it was Mikasa’s turn to have shivers go down her spine. Her pulse was pounding in her ears, a deep ache in her body that only Eren could fill. She moved her hand up his erection before sliding back down recognizing the way Eren was trying to swallow, the hazy look in his eyes. It only made her want him more.

“How’s Armin doing?” Vita asked with a smile. “He’s another one of your roommate’s right, Eren?”

“Hmm?” Eren’s eyes snapped up, clearly not paying attention till he heard his name. “Oh yeah, he’s good. He’s in his element.”

“Has he met anyone?”

“Nah, you know Armin. All of that can wait, he’s always been fine on his own. Jean on the other hand.” Eren paused, breath hitching when Mikasa rubbed against his arousal again. “You’d think he’s going to college to get a date.”

Mikasa grabbed down on Eren, palm rubbing circles and fingers pressing into him. Eren’s hand came down from the table and grabbed onto her thigh, fingers gripping into her skin and Mikasa could almost feel the tension in his body. He had enough of her teasing.

“Oh, shit,” Mikasa said, her hands reaching up to cover her mouth. “I left my bag for you guys in the car. Eren would you mind helping me?”

“Yeah,” he said following her lead to stand up from the table. She knew he had to be a little discreet about actually standing up but he got pretty good at hiding inopportune boners in front of her parents.

Her mom may have tried to get them to wait till after dinner but Eren was already following Mikasa out of the building and into the parking lot illuminated but the lights from the restaurant. She reached Eren’s car first but it wasn’t long until she found her back pressed up against the side of the car. She jumped up into his arms when his hands moved to grab her ass, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him into her.

“Jesus Christ, Mikasa,” he groaned into her neck, trailing hurried, open mouthed kisses against her skin. “Are you trying to kill me in front of your parents?”

She tried to bite back a moan when Eren grasped her hips, grinding his arousal right into where she was aching to be touched. “It’s not my fault you look gorgeous tonight.” Her arms were tight around his neck, one hand firmly tangled in his hair as her dress started to slide up her thighs.

“Oh, so it’s my fault.” Eren nipped at the skin of her collarbone, rolling his hips into hers and making her melt. “Not the girl who was practically giving me a handjob under the dinner table.”

“You started it.”

Eren laughed before his lips crashed into hers, taking her breath away. Her other hand reached up to his hair, keeping his head close to hers. She felt him trying to stop his hips from bucking into her, rubbing his erection against her already wet core. He kept his motions short but hard making her moan against his mouth and maybe to try and make it look less like they were practically having dry sex in the parking lot.

“Can’t I just say I left the bag at home and we have to get it,” Mikasa groaned when he started to kiss back down her neck.

“Don’t tempt me.” Balancing her against the car, he let one hand run up her body, brushing against her breast as he reached up to cup her face. “I’ll still be dressed like this when we get back to campus and I’m all yours. Just eat dinner, place nice with your parents, and stop trying to get me off under the dinner table.” He leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. “As fucking fantastic as that would feel right now it would probably be awkward for everyone involved.”

Mikasa laughed and he went to kiss her again.

“Not to mention they’d never believe their sweet, innocent daughter started it. It would be my fault, the boy they caught making out with their only daughter when we were fifteen.”

“Stop it,” she chuckled, pecking a kiss to his mouth. “They love you.”

“They love me cause you love me.”

Mikasa opened her mouth to deny that but someone cleared his throat nearby and Eren froze; he probably heard her father clearing his throat in all of Eren’s nightmares, right along with her telling him Levi was coming to visit. Mikasa turned her head and sure enough there was her dad standing off to the side, his arms across his chest. She reached down to try and pull her skirt down a little since Eren hadn’t put her down yet.

Tom arched an eyebrow. “Are you two ever gonna get out of the teenage hormone phase of your relationship?”

“Oh, um,” Mikasa looked from Eren, who did catch the hint and carefully placed her feet on the ground. “Eren, well…” She had zero bullshit excuses to give. “He looks really hot tonight.”

Eren snorted in laughter while her dad just shook his head; it was hard to tell if he was mad or amused.

“Will you finish up then before your food gets cold?”

“Yes, Dad,” Mikasa murmured as he walked away.

Eren’s head hit her shoulder. “Just kidding I think I’d like to go home now.”

“Stop it,” Mikasa laughed, running his hands through his hair. Well, at least she still had after dinner to look forward to and maybe form a plan to make Eren dress up more often.

 


	6. Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated M for Sexual Situations

_**Anonymous:** okay I have to ask since you've mentioned it a couple of times in your recent fics, will you please do one of Eren and Mikasa having sex at one of Reiner's parties xD pretty pretty please!!!_

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Eren knew it was a bad idea. He had a rule that he wouldn’t drink at parties and it was something he almost always upheld. Someone had to keep an eye on his beautiful girlfriend who happened to make the stupidest choices when she was drunk (no, Armin never helped either). So even if he slipped up and drank at some parties (which he never remembered because God, he wished he could handle his alcohol just a little bit better) he made absolutely sure he never did it if Mikasa was already drunk. The two of them drunk didn’t mix well. Or mixed too well. Eren wasn’t sure which one it should be classified as.

In his defense, she said she wasn’t coming to Reiner’s that night. She had too much school work and tests to finish. That was fine, he was in school too he understood but that did mean he could actually have a drink. He should’ve stuck to a beer, just a few beers, that didn’t kill him quite as much but no, someone passed him a glassful of whiskey. Reiner’s party suddenly got much brighter (and a little bit more blurry). Eren vaguely heard Armin laughing, asking him if that was a good idea. Eren think he said he should be asking Armin the same, but whether those were the words that came out where beyond Eren.

So he’d be horribly sick sometime tonight, so someone would have to drag his ass home, really he didn’t do this very often at all so what could it hurt? What could one night hurt? The reality of the matter was probably many things it could hurt but everything was okay when his head and limbs felt like they were in the sky.

That was until he saw Mikasa walking towards him from across the room. He kinda heard her tell him that she finished her work early and that she decided to come by. She left out that she already was drinking before she found him but Eren knew by the way she was walking, by the way she reached up to drape her arms around his neck, her body rubbing up against his. Even if he wasn’t drunk he probably would’ve been a goner when she kissed him. If there was one thing he couldn’t resist, it was Mikasa.

How he found himself on the couch with her on top of him, lips feverishly moving against each other was really beyond him; though he supposed it shouldn’t have surprised him. Her legs were tight around his waist, her hands pressed up against his chest. His chest? Where’d his shirt go? Eren found he really didn’t care when Mikasa started to kiss down his neck, hands running down to his sides.

“Mika,” he gasped, eyes fluttering open to try and see where they were.

She hummed against his skin, fingers slightly digging into his skin. Well, she certainly didn’t seem to care, not that it surprised Eren too much. She always got like this when she was drunk (and he wasn’t complaining).

The room was unfamiliar, but he couldn’t tell if that’s because he was drunk or because he had never been in this room before. It certainly wasn’t a bedroom since they were on a couch of sorts and it certainly wasn’t too far from the party because Eren could still hear the talking and music just fine.

“I think we’re still in the party,” Eren laughed, though he had no idea why that was so funny.

Mikasa’s head lifted up slightly, eyes meeting his and a grin on her lips that made shivers go down his spine. “So what?”

So what indeed. She started to kiss down his chest, fingers playing with the waist of his jeans. Okay, he was still wearing pants at least; that was better than some times when he woke up after being drunk.

Mikasa popped the button on his jeans. Well, maybe not for too much longer. She rolled her hips down onto his her teeth nipping at his stomach, nudging her face lower every moment she got.

Eren wasn’t sure how he had missed the tight, aching feeling in his pants but it was there alright and had been there for a little while judging how hard he was. “Mikasa,” he groaned, hands reaching up to tangle in her hair.

She just chuckled against him, nipping a bit harder at his skin.

He thought he heard someone walk by, someone laugh but before he could look up Mikasa was zipping down his jeans. His head swung back so hard he hit the back of it on the couch arm rest. Oh fuck. Shit. Her hand was sliding down the front of his jeans and it took all the power he hand in him to fumble down and grab her hand.

Mikasa looked surprised for a moment like she never expected him to stop her. He reached down and grabbed a hold of her waist, spinning them so she was flat on her back. She started to laugh when she looked up at him and Eren figured he knew why. His head was spinning so much from that action he thought he was gonna fall off the couch.

He snorted and collapsed his body down onto her. She kept laughing, hitting him on the shoulders for him to move but he had a better idea. He slid his hand down to her thigh, right to where her skirt ended. Mikasa jumped a little when he touched her bare skin, giggling once more. He ran his hand right back up her thigh until her felt the lacy material of her panties. That time she gasped. There, that was much better. He ran his fingers up the material, pushing it aside so he could touch her right where she wanted.

It backfired a bit on him though. He groaned, his head falling against her chest when he felt how wet she was already. “Jesus, Mikasa,” he moaned, her hips bucking impatiently against his fingers. “You’re trying to kill me aren’t you?”

She whined a little and the sound alone made him put pressure against her, rubbing against her sensitive folds. “Eren,” she cried, probably a little too loud.

Where there still people around him? He went to look up to see but he did it right as he pushed his fingers into her. His head didn’t get too far too see when her hands where on his face, forcing him to look at her.

Mikasa’s hips rolled into his hand, her teeth biting at her lower lip. “Fuck me.”

He almost lost it right there on the spot. He really didn’t care if there were people still in the room or not. Who the hell cared? They were probably all as wasted as him and Mikasa were. He gave her one last stroke of his fingers before pulling them out and going to push up her skirt. Mikasa already was pulling his pants and boxers down, just enough so she could grab a hold of him. Eren groaned when she ran her fingers over his arousal, and even more so when she tugged on him to come close. How could he say no? She had already pulled her underwear aside enough for him to push himself inside her.

Mikasa let out a low moan, her hands grasping onto his shoulders and her head thrown back against the headrest. He rolled his head into her neck, pressing his lips to her skin as he started to move against her. She reached her legs up around his waist, keeping his motions close to her like she was trying to make it so no one would know what they were doing.

Okay, Mikasa, nice try.

He moaned against her skin when he felt her hip reach to his, her small cries in his ears. Between the alcohol and Mikasa’s actions through the night Eren wasn’t quite sure how much he had in him but judging by the way her eyes were clamped shut, her body squirming under him, he wasn’t the only one who had too much tonight.

He couldn’t even be bothered to look to see if anyone one really was in the room, though he still thought he heard laughing, because his name was on Mikasa’s lips over and over again as he pushed into her. It was getting too much. All of it was getting too much. Mikasa, she…no matter how many times they were together, she always had the power to make him melt in her hands. Drunk or not, that would never change.

He groaned when he felt heat rise up in the pit of his stomach. His hands gripped down on her hips, his pace getting frantic against her when he felt his release rushing through him. They way her hips were grinding up against his, hands digging into his skin told him she was feeling the same.

Eren panted trying to catch his breath as he buried his head into her neck. He carefully pulled himself away from her, vaguely noting that he probably should zip up his pants or something like that.

She laughed. “Eren, that tickles.”

He decided the smart thing to do was nuzzle his head into her more.  

She laughed so loud it made his head ring but he kinda thought any noise would do that right now.

“You’re so good,” he murmured into her skin.

Mikasa giggled. “Cause you’re drunk.”

“Nah, you’re always good.”

“That makes no sense.”

“You make no sense.”

She was laughing again, squirming underneath him like it was the funniest thing in the world.

He decided it might be smart to pull out of her and you know, look like that just hadn’t been having sex on someone’s couch. Reiner’s couch? Did Reiner have roommates? Yeah…yeah, what where their names? A boy…and a girl maybe? “Is this Reiner’s couch?”

Mikasa snorted. “It’s his house isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but doesn’t he have roommates? Like a blonde girl or something?”

Mikasa might’ve answered, Eren wasn’t sure, all he knew was someone was tapping his shoulder. “Hey!” Eren said, lifting his head up off Mikasa. “Reiner! Speak of the devil.”

Reiner arched his eyebrow. “Dare I ask why you were thinking of me in you…current position?”

“Hey, Reiner,” Mikasa piped up. “Is this your couch?”

“Yes, are you done with it?”

Mikasa looked thoughtful and it made Eren laugh. “Possibly.”

Reiner shook his head but he was drunk enough to at least be amused. “Will you two get decent and learn to keep your hands off each other for two seconds. You’re in the living room for fucks sake.”

Eren looked around for the first time since he remembered coming in here. “Oh yeah, that’s where we are.” So there were probably people around. He looked down at Mikasa who had her hands clasped over her mouth, but her eyes were sparkling with amusement. If Eren was any part sober he might’ve though well, shit, whoops.

But he wasn’t, and he really didn’t care.


	7. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated M for Sexual Situations. I'm sorry for the amount of times her father walks in on them. I have no idea how this keeps happening lmao

_**Anonymous:**  lyssala-senpai have you read the Eremika fanfic "runner"? i just found out that the author won't update anymore and I'm just sad cause its a really good fanfic. Can you please brighten up my day with an Eremika smut??? please, please, please_

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Eren knew better, he really did. Mikasa’s parents didn’t know he and Mikasa had a sexual life at all (even though they were away at college together, c’mon, Mr. and Mrs. A, really?) so when they were home they had to keep all of that to an absolute zero. Eren suspected they had some idea, but probably didn’t enjoy considering it all that much. He knew that and he was perfectly okay with it; the other option was Mr. A probably killing him (Eren had enough close calls as it was, that was plenty) so he tended to follow the rules in Mikasa’s house. In his own house and in his own parents’ words, as long as they didn’t have to listen to it, they didn’t care. Naturally, they opted to spend more time over there but Mikasa still wanted to see her parents and Eren would never object to that; which is how he found himself over there in the first place.

No big deal, he knew the Ackermans since he was a kid; he loved them like he loved his own parents. They were upstairs and him and Mikasa were downstairs watching a movie and lounging on the couch; it was a usual time at the Ackerman home. That was until Mikasa decided to get changed, which was still fine, she wanted to by comfy, no big deal; his girlfriend could be comfy whenever she damn well chose to be. Of course, she chose to get changed into one of his shirts that hung down to her thighs completely hiding the small shorts she was wearing underneath and decided to snuggle up to him on the couch.

That was how he found himself pressing Mikasa’s back up against the back of the couch, his hands holding her hips firmly against his, and kissing her feverishly.  Eren knew better, he really did. Yet, this is what he got for having a girlfriend who was completely irresistible. He knew Mikasa had purposely dressed like that to get a rise out of him (literally) and it worked.

She had her hands running through his hair, one leg hitched over his waist as she rolled her hips into his, getting a groan from him that was muffled against her mouth. He trailed his hand down to the skin of her thigh, trailing his fingers over her.

“Led me not into temptation,” he murmured against her jaw as he broke their kiss, lips leading down to her next.

Miksasa chuckled, though it was cut short by a gasped when he kissed that one spot behind her ear. “I checked before I came down. They’re sound asleep.”

“And they did so without kicking me out for once. Miracles do happen.”

She slapped him on the shoulder but gasped again when he slipped his hands under her shirt, running up until he brushed over her bare breasts. He grabbed down on her, palms rubbing down against her nipples which earned him a moan spilling from those delicious lips of hers.

“Shhh,” he said, nipping at the skin of her neck. “Don’t wanna wake up those peaceful sleepers do we?”

She tugged on his hair which normally meant stop talking and keep going. Eren was more than happy to oblige; sure they were taking a huge risk, but if they were asleep what harm could be done?

He kept his hands grasping onto her breasts while his lips roamed over all the skin over her neck and collar bone he could possibly reach. She kept grinding her hips desperately into his and he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to take of this. Mikasa was something else, she could wind him up beyond all reason in a matter of seconds if she wanted to.

She seemed to pick up at that quite easily, though it could’ve been that he couldn’t stop his own hips from rubbing against hers constantly. She slid her fingers into the sides of her shorts and shimmied them off till her feet were kicking them off the couch. Even just the act of her removing a piece of her clothing Eren had to muffle a groan into her neck.

Before he got the chance to act on the fact his beautiful girlfriend wasn’t wearing pants any more he found himself on his back, her legs straddling his hips.

“You were taking too long,” she said, a devious look in her eyes as she started to work on the button and zipper of his jeans.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve never uttered those words to me before.” He supposed he would’ve gotten a slap on the stomach for that but she was already sliding her hands down the front of his pants and mental functions were starting to cease. He reached down to help push his pants and boxers down his hips some while Mikasa pulled his aching erection out, rubbing her hand over him.

“Fuck,” he moaned, head rolling back against the armrest of the couch and hands reaching out to grab her hips. He wasn’t sure if it was the fact they were trying not to get caught by her parents or if she really just wanted it cause she didn’t waste any time lifting her hips up and sliding down on him.

“Jesus, Mik,” he groaned when she started to roll her hip into his, every motion sending heat through the pit of his stomach.

She leaned over so her chest was pressed to his, her lips kissing against his neck. Eren moved his hands from her hips down to grab her ass, urging her on as she moved against him. Because they were trying to keep quiet, every noise sounded ten times louder to him and that wasn’t a bad thing. Not when he could hear every moan, every cry, every gasp from Mikasa against his skin. He couldn’t even control his own groans, his own whispers of her name every time he lifted his hips to meet hers.

They might’ve been having sex since they were around sixteen years old, but he could never get tired of this, of her, of how she made him feel, of what she made him feel. Eren didn’t know it was possible to love someone as much as he loved her.

Her hands were curled in his shirt, her breath ragged against him, her body tense but that wasn’t her biggest tell. It was the soft calling of his name every time that let him know she couldn’t take it anymore. More often than not, hearing his name on her lips like that was enough to push him to his own edge. He grabbed back onto her hips and pushed himself hard into her a few more time before her body was withering against him, his own vision spotty as his release mixed with hers.

She lifted her head up, though a bit weakly, and kissed him for a moment before going to find her shorts to put back on. Eren fixed his own pants and held his arms open for her to cuddle back down next to him. He loved every moment he got with her but these were especially engraved into his mind. He pressed a kiss to Mikasa’s temple as she snuggled back up to him before wrapping his own arms around her.

Eren was pretty sure when he saw a yawn pull at her lips that he was just gonna fall asleep with her right there but then there was a sound that nearly made him fall off the couch.

Mr. A clearing his throat. God damn it, why did he always do that? It was terrifying.

Mikasa was instantly awake, sitting up as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “Daddy, did you come to tell Eren it was time to leave?”

He didn’t look like he was buying this at all and Eren was pretty sure his heart was going to pound out of his chest.

Mr. A sat down in the armchair nearby, crossing his arms against his chest. “Aside from the fact you only call me ‘Daddy’ when you’re hiding something, I do want to go into this conversation by stating that I was nice enough to let you finish.”

Eren started to see his life flash in front of his eyes when Mikasa reached a shaky hand over to hold onto his.


	8. Public Indecency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated T for sexual implications and language. This is is. This is my legacy.

_**mrsstampede** **:** Modern Au_

_Armin meets a cute blonde cop, Annie, when he goes to bail Eren and Mikasa out of jail after they get arrested for Indecent exposure._

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Even Armin was having a hard time trying to get some homework done in his dorm room with the gorgeous day outside. He really just wanted to abandon his work and take the day off but he knew with finals coming up he couldn’t afford to. At least he opened the window, getting that fresh spring air in. He was about to go get himself some food when his phone started to buzz on the table, Eren’s name lighting up on the screen.

“Hey, Eren, what’s up?” Armin answered, leaning back in his chair. “I thought you were coming home hours ago?”

Eren was quiet for moment though there was quite a bit of background noise behind him and Armin knew something was off. “Ah yeah, about that.”

“Did something happen?”

“A little, yeah.”

“A little? Are you okay?” Armin’s heart was racing a bit now; not that he wasn’t used to his best friend doing stupid things but it’s not like he liked it when it happened. “Are you at the ER again?”

“No, not that.” Eren was still being distant with his voice. It was something he didn’t want to tell Armin is what it was.

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

There was silence again. “Hey, Armin?”

“Yes?”

“Can you come bail us outta jail?”

“Why the hell do I need to bail you out of jail?” Armin was getting a headache now.

“Because that’s where I am.”

“Yeah, I got that, but why?”

There was just background noise, now of what Armin knew to be the police station.

“I’m not getting you if you don’t tell me.”

“Jesus, Armin. It was public indecency, okay?”

That was not what he wanted to hear. “Please tell me it was just you and Jean being wasted morons.”

There was hesitation on Eren’s end. “It wasn’t.”

“Shit, Levi is gonna kill you, you know that right?”

Eren choked. “That’s why I called you and not him.”

“How he isn’t going to find out you and his sister got arrested for having sex in a public place is beyond me. You do remember her dad’s a cop too right?”

“Are you coming or not?”

Armin sighed, what choice did he have? “I’ll be right there.”

“Thank you, buddy.” Eren said but Armin had already ended the call, rubbing his hand against his forehead. Only Eren, only would it be because of Armin’s best friend since childhood that he now had to stop his studies and walk down to the local precinct to bail Eren and Mikasa out of jail for public indecency all things. He grabbed his wallet, headed out of the dorm room, and outside on campus.

He had a mind to just call Carla up as he headed into town from campus, let her know what her son had been up to at school. As humorous as that probably would’ve been to see Carla storming into the police station scolding Eren because what kinda man has sex with the woman he loves in a public place like that, it wasn’t Armin’s place to say. Word travels pretty fast anyway; if Mr. Ackerman was on duty today at all Carla was sure to hear about it before the day was through.

What Armin didn’t understand is why? Like, okay he got that his best friends were very much in love and very much attracted to each other but the park was a fifteen minute walk from campus, at least that’s where he assumed it was, that’s where they had been going that day. He really didn’t know they couldn’t just walk back and have sex in Eren’s room; it’s not like they hadn’t done it a thousand times already Armin knew that for a fact. Maybe it was because Armin was still single and he didn’t understand the spontaneity of it all but he sure as hell understood not getting arrested for fucking around in public.

He pushed open the door to the precinct and stepped into the busy lobby. Armin had never been to a police station before so he wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do, but he figured talking to the person at the desk was a start. Before he actually got there though a familiar voice bellowed his name. Armin had to look up at the many faces around him to see that one familiar one. “Reiner?”

“Hey, man! How’re you doing?” The taller guy walked over to Armin, clasping a hand down on his shoulder.

“I’d be better if I didn’t have dumbasses for best friends.”

Reiner let out a laugh which told Armin he already knew what was going on. “C’mon, I’ll take you to them.”

Armin quickly followed Reiner down a hallway and a set of stairs before turning left through another hallway but this one much quieter, so quiet in fact Armin could easily hear the conversation that was going on in the holding cells.

“What time does your mom get off work again, Eren? Has to be around now right? I know I have her number here, I’ll give her a call for you.”

“Don’t you fucking dare, old man.”

“Put your hands back in the cell, kid,” Hannes chuckled, clearly getting a huge kick out of this situation. He looked up from his paperwork, a smile crossing his lips when he saw Armin come in with Reiner. “Hey, look who it is, your one phone call is here.”

“Hey, Hannes,” Armin said as he waved to the older officer sitting at the holding cell desk before turning to face his dearest of all friends. Eren was pressed up against the front bars looking a mix of pissed off and distressed, whereas Mikasa was just sitting on the bench her head in her hands. “I can’t believe you guys got arrested for this of all things.”

“C’mon, buddy, can’t you just get us out of here?” Eren asked, his tone nearly begging.

Armin crossed his arms as he looked at his friend. Of course he’d get them out but it wouldn’t be bad to let them stew for a little bit longer. “What’s your rush?”

“He wants to get out before the Chief gets back,” Hannes snorted with laughter. “Just wait till he hears what his little girl’s been doing.”

Mikasa let out some strangled noise but she didn’t move an inch.

“What happened? I mean I know  _what_ happened, but how did it happen?”

Eren glanced over at Mikasa who still wasn’t looking at anyone. He looked back to Armin but with a hesitant look on his face.

“Let me help,” Reiner said, a grin on his lips. “I’m their arresting officer after all.”

Armin had to throw a hand over his mouth to stop from laughing. “ _You_  found them?”

“And me, unfortunately.” That was another familiar voice, one that sent a jolt down Armin’s spine.

“Armin, you remember Annie right? She’s my partner, well, at least for now till we get more senior partners.” Reiner gestured to the blonde who stepped in from the hallway.

“Yeah, I remember.” How could he have forgotten? He’d never forget those sharp eyes and pointed looks. It had been months since Reiner’s birthday party but Armin still remembered her.

“So we get a call,” Reiner said as Eren hung his head against the bars and jumping Armin from his thoughts. “From an older woman, saying she thought some kids were having sex in the park and she was concerned because her grandchildren played there.”

“Really, in the park with the children?” Armin said looking back to Eren.

“There weren’t any children around,” Eren grunted not looking up.

“Well, that’s true enough,” Reiner said. “They were in a pretty secluded section of the park but still in public view since someone spotted them and called us. Sure enough I found these two going at it instead of enjoying the nice picnic it looked like they brought. I’m pretty sure if I didn’t clear my throat or something they would’ve never known we were right there.”

“It was actually pretty disgusting,” Annie said from Reiner’s other side.

Armin had walked in on his friends plenty of times over the years and while he wouldn’t call it disgusting just because he never thought being that in love was disgusting, it wasn’t exactly pleasant to walk in on either.

“To be fair, they did a pretty good job of keeping all their clothes on just fine, save for what needed to get pushed aside.” Reiner was trying not to laugh again. “But it was also pretty clear there was nothing else they could’ve been doing but fucking.”

“What I want to know is why,” Armin said, though even as he did he wondered if he  _really_ did. “Why didn’t you just walk back up to campus and do whatever you wanted to behind a door and not in a park in the middle of the day?”

Eren hesitated and it was pretty obvious there was something he didn’t want to share. “I wasn’t exactly thinking with my head at the time, alright.”

“At least not the one his skull,” Hannes snorted from the desk.

Eren sent their long time neighbor a glare before looking back over to the others.

“It’s my fault.”

Armin was pretty sure that was the first time he heard Mikasa’s voice this whole time. She finally looked up at them, face flushed.

“Mika, you don’t have to,” Eren said, glancing back at her.

“No, you can’t take all the blame for the whole thing.” She was still hunched over but her hesitant eyes were watching Armin. “Eren really did just want to have a nice day out at the park, and skip any studying he had to but he had been doing such a good job keeping up with studying for once I thought…” She paused for a moment, biting her lower lip. “I waited till we were laying down and making out before I told him I wasn’t wearing underwear under my dress.”

Hannes laughed so hard Armin was pretty sure he was going to give himself a heart attack. “I always knew you two were a match made in heaven,” he choked between laughter.

“I’m gonna hurl,” Annie deadpanned. “I didn’t sign up for this.”

Reiner was hunched over he was laughing so hard.

“Needless to say,” Eren grunted, clearly trying to ignore everyone in the room now. “It didn’t take much more than that.”

“You guys are something else.” Armin shook his head. “I’m happy you still are that much in love with each other, but next time try not to get arrested for it.”

“Can you just get us out of here? I probably won’t get the chance to be in love with her anymore if her dad shows up.”

Armin thought Eren was overreacting just a bit. Mr. Ackerman was a tough cop sure but he was a big softie when it came to his daughter; as long as Mikasa was happy, he wasn’t gonna get in the way.  Granted, as far as Armin knew he hadn’t walked in on Eren and Mikasa let alone seen them arrested for having sex in public. Armin walked over to Hannes to get some kind of bail posted; it couldn’t be too high for something that was basically disorderly conduct, but Armin didn’t get the chance.

Chief Ackerman was already in the room, walking right over to the cell door that Eren was backing away from.  Mikasa’s dad pulled out a key and unlocked the door, swinging it open. He looked up at the both of them, his face unreadable. “Out,” was all he said.

“Ah, you know, Mr. A, I think I’m okay in here.”

Chief Ackerman was not having it. “Eren, get your ass out here. Mikasa you too, c’mon, I’m already wasting my work time having to come down here to get you.”

Eren seemed to change his tune as he hurried out of the cell, Mikasa close behind him. She grabbed a hold of his hand, lacing her fingers with his as if it could save her from the wrath of her father who not only was a father but the chief of this precinct. Armin didn’t envy either of them.

They stood meekly side by side each other in front of the chief as he watched them, crossing his arms over his chest. “Have anything to say for yourselves?”

“We had protection, sir?” Eren tried but it only had Mikasa hissing his name and giving him a slap to the chest.

Mr. Ackerman was already rubbing his temples. “Look, you two, can you please try and refrain from getting arrested by my officers for taking your relationship out in public? You both live on campus with your own bedrooms; just take it somewhere where it never has to come back to me having this conversation ever again. You’re adults, act like it.”

There was a snort of laughter that was definitely Reiner.

“Yes, sir,” Eren and Mikasa muttered.

“Good, you’re things are upstairs by the door. I’m taking you back to campus.”

“That’s okay, Mr. A, we can walk back just fine,” Eren said trying to give him a smile but Chief Ackerman just gave Eren a look.

“Oh no, you’re coming with me in my squad car straight to your dorm building.”

Mikasa let out a strangled noise. “Dad-”

“Oh no, don’t you Dad me. You just got arrested for having sex with your boyfriend in public. Move it before I give your brother a call.”

Armin wasn’t sure who moved faster down the hall, Eren or Mikasa.

“Jesus,” Mr. Ackerman sighed, looking after them. “I don’t get it, they’re smart kids. Yeah, maybe a little too much in love for their own good but that’s better than the alternative. How did this happen?”

“Your daughter left her panties at home,” Hannes said with such a straight face it actually surprised Armin.  Though that was probably because Mr. Ackerman was still his boss and laughing over this might end in a world of trouble for him.

Reiner on the other hand couldn’t hold it in any more, he was doubled over laughing.

Chief Ackerman looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. “Braun, get back to work. You have reports to file.”

“Yes, sir,” Reiner said quickly hurrying down the hall.

“Armin, you okay getting back up to campus?” He was rubbing his temples again though Armin thought maybe this time it was to get the images out of his head.

Armin was about to answer that he was fine but Annie spoke up before he got a chance. “I can take him back, Chief, and drop him off a little more subtly.”

“Thanks,” Chief Ackerman sighed. “Wish me luck.”

“Give ‘em hell, Chief,” Hannes waved as Mr. Ackerman slowly walked down the hallway after Reiner.

Annie nodded towards the hallway as well, and Armin waved back at Hannes who was still chuckling to himself. Armin walked beside her the way that Reiner had led him down in the first place.

“So those are your best friends huh.” Annie clicked her tongue as they headed back towards the main entrance.

“Not their finest moment, no, but they really are great people,” Armin said. “I mean I’ve known them since we were kids, no one probably knows them better than me.”

Annie glanced over at him. “We met at Reiner’s party, remember?”

“Of course I do.”

“I met them too. Though I use the word ‘met’ lightly because when I saw them they were hammered and practically having sex on the couch.”

Yeah, that actually sounded a pretty correct. “I got nothing for that.” Armin raised his hands in defeat. “They’re idiots, but they’re my idiots.” He held the door open for her as they stepped back out into the warm air; at least it still was gorgeous out and it wasn’t the only thing he thought that was out here.

He looked over at Annie who seemed to be headed for the parking lot. Armin worked too hard and didn’t take a lot of time to himself but Annie, she he remembered from that night. “Hey, why don’t we just walk back up? It is a nice day out.” Armin supposed he must’ve been looking hopeful because he swore he saw a ghost of a smile cross her lips.

“Fine, as long as we steer clear of the park.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t think I’ll ever be showing my face there again.”


	9. Party II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated T for slight sexual implications and language.

_**Anonymous:** I have a little request! I know you've done college au drunk Eren in your fics before but could you do something with a drunk Mikasa? I always imagined Mikasa being a giggly horny drunk that gets super sleepy really quickly lol_

* * *

 

Eren was exhausted from the moment he heard the loud bass pounding from inside the house, the shouts, the laughter. It wasn’t that he didn’t love a good party but after a long Friday doing his practical at the hospital, all he wanted to do was go to bed. He promised he’d come though and promised he’d drive so there was no way he wasn’t gonna go.

There were some people sitting up on the porch playing some drinking game but no one he recognized. Eren pushed the front door and the loud music, the smell of alcohol, everyone chatting away hit him instantaneously. As did Connie.

“There you are!” Connie shouted, nearly crashing into Eren. “Where ya been, man?”

It was rather clear Connie was already gone for the night. “I’m still in school remember?”

Connie looked thoughtful for a moment. “Oh yeah. We’ll you’re here, have some beer. Hey that rhymed!” He quickly dissolved into laughter.

Eren snorted, and hit Connie on the back a few times to make sure he was still breathing. “Glad to see your night has been grand. Have you seen Mikasa?”

Still laughing, Connie shook his head.

“Alright.” Eren headed into the house that was nearly filled to the brim with people. Some he recognized and some he didn’t which was a pretty typical party at Reiner’s. Eren thought he went to check out back since it was a nice summer night and he thought his friends might be hanging out there. He had to practically push through people to get there and nearly got plenty of alcohol spilled on him. A quick scan of the backyard only turned up Armin who was sitting on a garden swing talking to Annie. Well, Armin was close but he wanted to find Mikasa before he settled down to hang out.

“Eren!”

He quickly turned and found Mikasa, though it was hard not when the moment he did turn around she jumped into his arms. Her arms were tight around his neck and legs firmly around his waist. Eren laughed as he wrapped his arms around her to help her keep her balance. “Hey, beautiful, I was just looking for you.”

She buried her face in his neck and said something, though he couldn’t quite make it out. It was always easy to tell when Mikasa was drunk, mainly because she lost all her normal composure. Granted, she could still kick anyone’s ass wasted or not, so Eren never had to worry about her in that regard.

“Someone brought you your favorite drink didn’t they?” he asked.

“You’re welcome!” Sasha said as she danced by, heading back into the house.

Mikasa reached up to grab Eren’s face in her hands. “How was today?”

“Why don’t we go sit down and I’ll tell you about it?”

She nodded and leaned into kiss him. She definitely tasted like alcohol but that was okay, he had missed her.

“Do you want to walk down there by yourself?”

“No.”

“Alright,” Eren laughed and started towards the backyard, carefully carrying her down the stairs. It was a warm night and there were much less people outside so he didn’t mind.

“Hey guys.” Armin waved when they got closer. “Did you just get here, Eren?”

“I did,” he said as he tried to maneuver himself and Mikasa into a long lawn chair near the swing since Mikasa decided she really didn’t want Eren to stop carrying her.  He let out a sigh when he could actually put his feet up on something. Mikasa let her legs straddle his lap but snuggled her face against his chest.

“How was the hospital today?” Annie asked, not looking interested in his answer but that was how she generally looked.

Eren rested his hands on Mikasa’s lower back. “Exhausting but good. We worked in the ER this week so it was hectic but my favorite so far.”

“Did you do a lot of healing?” Mikasa asked.

“Of course.” He poked her in the sides making her laugh. “My white mage skills are top level.”

Mikasa seemed to think that was hilarious but Armin rolled his eyes with a groan.

“I missed you,” she said leaning in to kiss him again.

He brushed some of her hair behind her ear and kissed her back. “I missed you too.”

“No,” she said so firmly that Eren would’ve asked her what was wrong if he didn’t recognize the glint in her eyes.

He arched an eyebrow at her. “No?”

“No,” she said again, this time slipping her hands under the hem of his shirt. A few fingers dipped below the waist of his pants while the others ran over the skin of his stomach. “I really missed you.”

Eren almost felt the goosebumps rising on his skin from her touch which was yet another sign she was drunk. His girlfriend who used to not even kiss him in public was rolling her hips into his. “So did I, trust me on that one,” he chuckled reaching up to her hips to keep her still even if there was a part of him that didn’t want to. “But we’re in public.” He pecked his lips against hers. “I’m completely sober.” Another peck. “And your other best friend is sitting next to us.”

Mikasa looked over to Armin who was waving at her. “Hi, Armin.”

“Hi, Mikasa,” he snorted into his drink.”

She laid her head back down against Eren but this time near his head so her lips were against his ear. “Please?”

“Please what?”

“Please fuck me.”

Eren groaned. This is what he got for having a gorgeous girlfriend who was a horny drunk. His pants started to get tight at the thought.

She must’ve noticed, well he wasn’t sure how she couldn’t in her position, because she grinned against his skin. She pressed her hips down into his causing his eyes to clench shut for a moment.

One hand reached up to her face to bring her gaze back to his, and he was pretty sure Armin was laughing at them. She popped her bottom lip, giving him a pout. God, she was adorable.

“Oh no, don’t try that face with me. Drunk or sober you’re irresistible, Mika, but let me reiterate I’m purposely sober to drive you home so there’s no way I’m getting wasted enough to do that in the middle of a party. Again.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Though from what I remember that was pretty great.”

She chuckled before giving a dramatic sigh and curling back into him, her head buried in his neck. Eren wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Armin asked with a laugh.

“She’ll be fine, well, hangover aside. She’ll probably be out cold in a few minutes.”

Mikasa slapped his chest. “I can hold my liquor.”

“Of course you can, babe, I meant no offence.”

“Unlike you,” Annie said.

“Ha ha so funny.” Eren snorted. “I can drink…most beers. It’s just the hard stuff I may or may not take to so well.

Mikasa started to laugh like she had heard the funniest joke ever. “Tequila makes  _your_ clothes fall off.”

“Well, I wouldn’t deny it,” Eren laughed, rubbing her back.

“I rarely see her like this,” Annie said leaning back against the swing. “What’s her hangover like?”

“Thankfully she doesn’t get sick like me; she just passes out and wakes up with a splitting headache.”

“Aka those two getting drunk together is good for no one,” Armin said with a laugh.

“I dunno, I think we put on a good show for everyone when we’re wasted.”

“Until the clothes fall off.”

“Touché.”

“Well, some people might enjoy that, you never know,” Annie shrugged.

“Is that some people you?” Armin arched an eyebrow at her.

“God, no, don’t make me hurl.”

“Thanks Annie,” Eren snorted. He looked down at Mikasa since she hadn’t squirmed recently and sure enough she was out cold and drooling on his shirt.

“She gone?” Armin asked.

“Oh yeah, she’s out for the night.”

“Gonna head off then?”

Eren could, he was exhausted and Mikasa was clearly done with the party. “Nah, I’m pretty comfortable. Grab me a beer, I’ll stick around for a bit. Don’t look at me like that, buddy. I said one.”

Armin snorted taking a sip of his own drink. “Just make sure your clothes stay on.”

“Just don’t give me tequila.”


	10. Baby Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This jumps pretty fast in the future. If you'd like to see the connector story its in Feels Like Home, Chapter 47 Childhood. It kinda bridges the gap between horny college students to future parents. 
> 
> Rated T for language.

Very few things could wake Armin up in the night. Car alarms could do it, people screaming (maybe, thankfully that hadn’t woken him up yet), unfortunately his alarm, and of course, his phone ringing. With a groan he blindly pawed his hand over to where the phone was lighting up, ringing, and vibrating at the same time on his nightstand. What he really wanted to do was hit ignore before it woke up Annie, and so he could go back to sleep but he knew he couldn’t just in case it was Mikasa; she was the whole reason he even left his phone on at night.

Armin squinted at the screen, trying to get his mind awake to see what was going on. Jesus, 4 am? Who calls at 4 am? He really was about to hit ignore this time but when his eyes adjusted to the screen he Mikasa’s picture looking back at him, making some silly face he took a picture of when she was drunk.

Anxiety knotted in his stomach and he was almost instantly awake. He hit answer and put the phone to his ear. “Hey, what’s up?” He reached to rub his eyes, his voice still thick with sleep. He felt Annie stirring next to him but he wasn’t sure if she was awake or not.

“Oh, nothing really.” Mikasa on the other hand didn’t sound like she was asleep at all, her voice sounding as clear as it was on any given day. Granted, that shouldn’t surprise him too much; Armin couldn’t imagine it would be easy to fall asleep when you were nine months pregnant.

“You called me at 4am to say it’s nothing?”

There was hesitation on her line, dead air crackling and Armin could nearly see her biting her bottom lip.

“Please tell me nothing’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she assured, her voice soothing but it was a little higher than usual. She wasn’t telling him something. “Everything’s normal, very normal.” Okay, now she was just stalling.

“Mikasa, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on. I know you wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t something.”

She hesitated again. “Armin, my water broke.”

Shit.

He was already out of his bed, grabbing at the nearest clothes he could find in the dark. “I’ll be over in a second. When did it happen?” Was that his shirt? No, he could definitely not fit into that.

“About five minutes ago.”

“Get all your things ready, I’m coming to get you okay? Just sit tight, I’ll be right there.” Armin balanced the phone on his shoulder as he kicked off his pj pants and tugged on some jeans. “Did you call Eren yet?”

There was that dead air again.

Armin stopped zipping up his jeans. “Really.”

“He’s gonna freak out, you know he will.”

“Well, he’s gonna freak out a lot more if you don’t tell him you’re going into labor with his child.” Armin buttoned his jeans and went back to search for a shirt. “Have you had any contractions?”

“Not yet, but that probably won’t last too long.”

He found a t-shirt on a nearby chair. “I’m on my way, okay? I’ll call Grisha and your parents for you. Just wait for me and call Eren.”

“Okay. Thank you, Armin.”

“Of course. I’ll get you soon.”

“Okay.” With that she clicked off the phone.

Armin sighed as he pulled his shirt over his head. Mikasa might’ve thought she was hiding it well enough with her casual tone but Armin knew her better than most anyone, save for probably Eren, and Armin knew she was already worrying, probably more so since Eren was three hours away from her.

Armin walked over to the side of the bed, placing his hand on the shoulder of the body that was laying there. He wanted to wake her up to let her knew he had to go, but her blue eyes were already watching him.

“Mikasa?” Annie yawned, stretching her hands over her head.

“I have to take her to the hospital. Do you wanna stay here or come with us?”

“Well.” Annie pushed herself up. “At least we never had to doubt it Eren’s the father, only his kid would decide to come at the most inconvenient time. I’ll come.”

* * *

Grisha was mildly surprised when his phone started to buzz next to him. It wasn’t too unusual even if he wasn’t on call. What was unusual was that it was Armin’s name on his phone; while the boy was always an early riser, 4am was pushing it. Grisha put the book he was reading down and picked up the phone off his desk.

“Hello, Armin, everything okay?”

“Hey, Uncle Grisha, did I wake you?”

Judging by the noise in the background, Grisha could easily tell Armin was in the car which again was pretty unusual. “No, I was already up to get some work done. Please don’t tell me you have to go get Eren from the conference because he got himself into trouble.”

Armin laughed. “No, it’s not him. I’m on my way to get Mikasa, it’s that time.”

Grisha stood to his feet, the chair sliding across the carpet. “Oh, is she positive? It’s a little early.”

“Her water broke.”

Well, that was pretty definite. “Okay, I’ll wake up Carla and we’ll meet you at the hospital. Does Eren know?” He started up the stairs to his bedroom where his wife wasn’t about to be asleep for much longer. “

“I told her to call him so hopefully by now he does. I told her I’d call you and her parents so she wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“I’ll call her parents, they live right across from us so we’ll just bring them with us.” He opened the bedroom door and walked over to the side of the bed where Carla was, sitting down next to her.

“Alright, thanks, Uncle Grisha, I’ll see you there.”

“Okay, bye.” Grisha reached over to shake Carla’s shoulder when Armin hung up. “I know its early, dear, but you’ve gotta get up.”

Carla made some incoherent sleepy noises but she rolled over, her eyes blinking open. “Are the kids okay?” she mumbled.

He had to smile; once a mother, always a mother. “Everyone’s fine but Mikasa’s water broke, we have to go meet them at the hospital.”

Carla blinked for a second. “Mikasa…she…” Her hands flew to her mouth as it seemed she finally fully woke up. “Oh my God! Eren isn’t even here! We have to go!”

Grisha put his hands on her shoulders as Carla practically flew outta bed. “Relax, Armin’s already on his way to get her. He’ll take fine care of her. Now, go and get ready and I’ll call Tom and Vita.” He leaned in to kiss her on the forehead before flicking on the light so Carla could get dressed, which she was already doing at a record speed.

He chuckled as he flipped through his contacts till he reached Vita Ackerman’s name, just in case Tom was out on patrol tonight. Grisha put the phone to his ear, listening to the ringing while Carla called back in the room asking if they should bring presents or not.

“Grisha? Hello?” Vita sounded like she just rolled outta bed, which was probably the truth.

“Sorry to wake you, Vita, but I thought you’d like to know your daughter is going into labor.”

The silence that followed had Grisha thinking she might’ve dropped the phone.

“Vita? You still with me?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m just…oh my God. Tom!” Her voice got a little distance like she was holding the phone away from her face. “Get up! We have to go to the hospital!”

Tom made some strangled noises in the background.

“Oh God, Grisha, who’s getting her? She was all alone this weekend. Should we go over there right away?”

“Don’t worry, Armin has it under control. Just come over here when you’re ready, okay? We’ll drive over together.”

“Okay, we’ll be right there.”

“Grisha!” Carla was standing in the doorway, already fully dressed.

He dropped the phone from his ear. “Yes, dear?”

“Presents or not?”

* * *

Eren knew he should be asleep. He had to be up to listen to more people talk in about four hours and he was pretty sure if he fell asleep again he really would get yelled at. Yet no matter how he tried all he could do was stare up at the ceiling of the hotel room. He told his boss he couldn’t come to this conference, that Mikasa was close to her due date and he couldn’t just leave her, that really how much more about the human body did he need to learn about? He was an ER doctor for fuck’s sake; he had seen plenty of the human body in the craziest ways. Granted, his boss really didn’t appreciate that last comment so here Eren was, three hours away from Mikasa and not being able to sleep at all.

Sure, Mikasa said it was fine, that she’d be fine, that there were plenty of people to look after her and that it was only for four days but Eren still didn’t like it.  He’d much rather be home with her then here listening to dozens of old people talk about medical research. He liked that kinda stuff well enough thanks to his dad but he liked being with Mikasa much more.

He sighed and reached for his phone he left on the nightstand. He glanced over to Marco in the next bed over to make sure his back was still facing Eren before he unlocked his phone. He had to squint from the bright light but it was worth it because Mikasa’s picture was the first thing he saw.

Four days really wasn’t _that_ bad, and it’s not like in all the years they knew each other this was the first time they were apart but God, did he miss sleeping next to her. What he wanted to do was call her and hear her voice again, make sure she was doing alright; okay, yeah, he talked to her before he went to bed but that was hours ago by now. He knew he shouldn’t cause God knows he’d feel the wrath even from here if he woke up his nine months pregnant fiancée.

He was just about to lock his phone up when it started vibrating in his hand. Eren supposed worry should’ve been his first thought when he saw Mikasa’s name and picture on his screen but instead he just smiled; she probably couldn’t sleep either.

“Hey, beautiful, I was just thinking about you. What’s up?” He tried to keep his voice low just in case Marco was kinda awake.

“Hey.” Her voice was soft though she sounded a little bit distance. “Did I wake you?”

Eren sat up a little bit in bed, his forehead furrowing. “No, I couldn’t sleep. Do you have me on speaker?”

There was some dead air and little bit of rustling.

“Mikasa? What’s going on?” Eren heard someone else say her name in the background; that was Armin, that was definitely Armin. Eren’s heart rate started to speed up as he sat up fully in his bed. Something wasn’t right.

“Please don’t freak out.”

“Mikasa.” That voice was a bit farther away but it sounded like Annie. “That isn’t the best thing to lead in on.”

Mikasa made some kinda frustrated noise.

“Please tell me what’s going on or I am gonna freak out.” His hand was already clutching his phone, his palms getting sweaty. Why would she be in a car with Armin and Annie at 4am unless…unless… “Is everything okay with the baby?”

There was a snort this time that was most definitely Armin.

“Yes, Eren, everything’s fine,” Mikasa said, her voice trying to be soothing but there was a waver to it. “It’s just…my water broke, Armin’s taking me to the hospital now.”

Holy shit. Fuck. He knew he shouldn’t have come to this conference. His feet were already outta the bed, ready to grab whatever clothing he could find so he could get to his car and leave. “I’m on my way.”

“Eren, no,” Mikasa said. “You’re hours away and its 4am. This can take a while just wait till the morning when you’re rested and can tell someone you’re leaving.”

He was already pulling on some jeans from his luggage. “I’m not gonna sleep if I know you’re in the hospital, Mikasa. Have you had any contractions yet?”

“No, so who knows how long this is gonna-o-oh…shit…” She broke off with some pained cries that pretty much answered his question.

“Mikasa,” she said grabbing his wallet off the nightstand. “I’m leaving now. I’ll be there as soon as I can okay?”

“I love you.” Her voice was a little strained this time; even though he knew it was all normal, that he had seen plenty of women in labor before, it still made his heart clench.

“I love you too.”

“I’ll take care of her.” It was Armin this time. “Just drive safely and don’t get yourself pulled over.”

“Thanks, buddy.” Eren clicked off the phone and moved to stand over his hotel mate’s bed. “Hey, Marco, wake up. Marco, c’mon, I know you aren’t that heavy a sleeper.”

His coworker groaned and rolled over. “Eren? What time is it?” He reached up to rub his eyes. “Is it time to get up already?”

“No, Mikasa went into labor. I have to leave. Can you tell Dr. Bozado why I’m not here anymore?”

“Jesus, of course go,” Marco said as he sat up in bed.

“Okay, thanks.” Eren started to head towards the door.

“Keep me updated!”

Despite the way his pulse was racing in his chest and his head swimming, Eren couldn’t help but smile. They were going to have a baby, a little girl. “Yeah, of course.” Eren opened the door as he patted down his pockets…wallet, keys…keys...where were his keys?

“Nightstand,” Marco yawned.

“Thanks,” Eren said, running back to grab them. He might need to stop for coffee.

* * *

Sasha always felt strange walking in hospitals despite the fact she had to pick up Connie, and sometimes Jean, at the ER before (usually thanks to a call from Eren and sometimes Marco). She never really was here for herself so she always felt strange walking down the sterile while halls that were always bustling with nurses, doctors, and patients but at least this time it was for a happy thing, the happiest thing.

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Jean yawned from behind her, moving to get outta the way of a nurse.

“I asked where the maternity ward was and she said this way so I’m going this way,” Sasha shrugged, though she hadn’t quite seen a sign for the maternity ward recently.

“Should we ask someone instead of getting lost in a hospital?”

“Oh!” Connie exclaimed from Jean’s side. “Maybe we’d get stranded on the abandoned floor and the spirits of mistreated patients would swarm around us trying to punish us for other’s misdeeds.”

Sasha and Jean both turned to stare at Connie.

“C’mon, you guys, I’m exhausted,” he whined.

“Alright fine.” Sasha pulled off at a nurse’s station that was just down the hall. “Excuse me, we’re looking for the maternity ward?”

“Honey,” the woman said, tossing some files down on her desk. “That’s in the North Tower, you’re in the South. Follow the signs to the North Tower to get on the right track.”

“Thank you,” Sasha said meekly before turning to her friends. “Whoops.”

Jean breathed heavily through his nose while Connie’s shoulders sagged.

Okay, maybe Sasha still didn’t like hospitals.

* * *

“You’re okay, sweetheart, just let it pass.” Vita supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that Mikasa rarely cried out in pain when any contractions came; she always had a high pain tolerance. Yet Vita could see it on her daughter’s face: the grimace, the sweat beading on her brow, and of course the way Mikasa squeezed down on the hand she was holding.

Mikasa let out a breath now that the contraction passed . They weren’t too close together yet, at least not as much as they needed to be so Vita assumed Mikasa still had a while to go before the baby was ready to come out; that would give Eren some time to get here. If Mikasa kept up like this they might even send her home till her contractions got closer.

“You need any water?” Carla asked from towards the end of the bed where she was sitting rubbing Mikasa’s legs.

“I’m fine,” Mikasa breathed. “Thank you. How much time was that?”

Armin glanced down at his phone from his spot on the other side of the bed. “Only about seven minutes.”

Mikasa let out a small whine. “Has it at least been three hours yet?”

“Not quite.” Vita didn’t have the heart to tell her it had barely been an hour. “He’ll be here, you know Eren.”

Mikasa nodded and let her head fall back against the bed she was propped up on. There was another woman on the other side of the curtains with her family but other than that the prep room was pretty quiet.

“Just try and relax while you can. Try and rest,” Vita rubbed her thumb against Mikasa’s hand, trying to soothe her a little.

“Speaking of rest, where’s Grisha and Tom with the coffee? They’ve been gone for a while.” Carla said glancing at the door.

“Well, Tom was gonna call Levi while they were out,” Vita said.

“Guess Eren’s lucky Levi can’t get in a car and drive over here too,” Armin said, wiping a cloth against Mikasa’s forehead.

“Stop it,” she said but she was laughing.

* * *

“Ackerman,” Levi grunted into the phone as he sat up in bed. He didn’t even bother looking who was calling, not appreciating anyone who’d wake him up on his day off.

“Hey, Levi, sorry to wake you.”

“Oh, hey, Dad,” Levi changed his tone a little bit. It’s not like his parents didn’t know he lived in a different time zone so his dad wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t something important; besides it had to be like 5am where they were. “It’s fine. It’s not too late here so what’s up.” He reached over to grab a cigarette off the bed stand; if he had to be up he might as well make the most of it. “There’s a lot of noise in the background, everything okay?”

“Yeah, we’re just at the hospital with Mikasa, she’s in the early stages of labor.”

Levi stopped mid-light of his cigarette. “Already?”

“It’s only by like a week or so, not too early. She’s doing fine, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Levi breathed out a mouthful of smoke. “Is the brat there taking care of her.”

“He’s on his way. It wasn’t the most convenient time for a baby to come but that’s how these things go.”

Levi took another drag before tapping his cigarette against the ash try on the night stand. “I’ll see if I can get on a plane tomorrow. I still have some leave left.”

“I’m sure Mikasa would like that. If not it’s okay, I won’t tell her either way in case it doesn’t work out. I’ll keep you updated in the meantime.”

Another drag. “Okay, thanks, Dad. See you.”

“Bye.”

The phone clicked off and Levi tossed it back on the night stand.

“Why are you getting on a plane?” a drowsy voice next to him asked.

“Why are you so nosey?” he grunted, hitting his cigarette against the ashtray as he looked over to the messy head of brown hair rolling over under the blankets to look at him. “My little sister is having her baby.”

Hanji made some kinda ridiculous noise that Levi was pretty sure only women were capable of making when it came to babies. “You’re gonna be an uncle.”

“That’s generally how these things work. I’m gonna have to find a way to get across the country tomorrow to go see her.”

“I’ll help. I have a pilot who owes me some favors.”

Levi dug his cigarette into the ashtray until it was out and laid back down, his head hitting the pillow and draping one arm over Hanji’s waist. “I don’t wanna know.” He wasn’t too worried about Mikasa, she had always been tough, she’d be able to handle it just fine but that didn’t he didn’t want to go just to make sure.

“That must be exciting, a new family member, going home to see your family and friends…if you have any that is.”

Levi snorted and pinched the skin of her back under his hand causing Hanji to hit him in the chest. “You wanna come?”

* * *

“How the hell did you get yourself lost in a hospital?” Annie sighed into the phone as she flipped through a magazine on her lap.

“It’s a very large place, okay. It’s not my fault we’ve only ever been to the ER.”

“I don’t think I’ve even been to the ER before.”

“Yeah, but you got a ride right up to the maternity ward. We didn’t even park in the right zip code to find this place.”

Annie rolled her eyes even though she knew Sasha couldn’t actually see her. “Did you follow the signs?”

“The wrong signs,” Jean said from somewhere in the distance but he made some kinda grunt afterwards meaning Sasha probably hit him.

“We just wanna see Mikasa before it’s too late,” Sasha said.

“As far as I know she hasn’t even gone into what they consider actual labor yet, she’s still in the pre-stage. You’ll see her just fine I’m sure. What signs do you see around you?”

“Umm, we’re in the South Tower now at least…oh! There’s a sign for the maternity ward!”

“Finally,” Connie sighed from nearby. “Do they have a cafeteria there?”

“Sasha, hang up the phone before you get distracted and misread a sign again,” Jean said.

“Okay, Annie, I’ll see you soon!”

“Don’t call me if you get lost again.”

“Call you if I get lost again got it. Bye!”

The phone clicked off causing Annie to both sigh and laugh a little. At least if Sasha could manage to get here it would a bit more amusing than reading boring magazines alone in the waiting room. Or it would give Annie a headache, she could never quite tell with Sasha.

* * *

While Grisha himself had only delivered a few babies when he was still in school ages ago, it wasn’t like he wasn’t familiar with the process.

Mikasa breathed out a strangled sigh as her most recent contraction passed.

“That one was five minutes apart,” Armin said from Mikasa’s bedside.

“You’re getting closer now, dear,” Grisha said, leaning forward against his knees. “If I recall right, 5 minutes is a good mark. It’s what they use to mark going into active labor.”

Vita passed Mikasa some water while Tom had taken to leaning nervously against the wall. Of course it was difficult to see someone you loved in such pain but everything seemed to be going just fine from what Grisha could tell.

“You mean all this isn’t actually labor?” Mikasa asked breathlessly.

“I think he just means it as a technical term.” Carla soothed. “It means you’ve hit the next stage and that’s a good thing.”

Mikasa nodded, resting her head back against the bed. The sight made Grisha smile. Carla always wanted a daughter and while they never had one, Carla considered Mikasa one of her own as did himself. He felt a high honor when Mikasa asked the both of them to stay in the prep room with her.

She looked over to Armin. “Has Eren called yet?”

“Not yet, he’s probably just busy driving.” Armin gave her a warm smile but it didn’t seem to help Mikasa’s mood.

“I’ll go give him a call, okay?” Grisha stood up to head out the door but before he could leave Dr. Ral opened the door herself.

“Hello,” she smiled kindly. She came in when Mikasa first got here but Grisha hadn’t seen her since. “How are we doing?”

“I’m okay,” Mikasa said though a bit weakly.

“How far apart are contractions?” Dr. Ral pulled on some gloves from off the work station.

“Most recently five minutes apart,” Armin answered.

Dr. Ral looked up at him. “Eren still not here?”

“I’m Eren’s best friend. I’m taking best man duties to a whole new level.”

That one made Mikasa laugh which in turn made Grisha smile.

“Okay,” the doctor chuckled. “Well, five minutes is a good thing so let’s gets how the dilation is going.” She took a small flashlight and pulled up the sheet. “Alright, around five centimeters, very good.” Dr. Ral dropped the sheet and gave Mikasa a reassuring smile. “Everything is right on track. This is the part that differs between every woman. It could take hours to get to the right dilation, it could take a half hour. Maybe she’ll wait till her daddy gets here. Just hang in there, okay, Mikasa?”

“Okay, thank you,” she said.

Dr. Ral gave another smile before she waved and left.

“See, no need to worry,” Grisha said, clapping his hands together.

“He’s right, those were all good things the doctor said,” Carla agreed leaning over to rub Mikasa’s leg.

“Save for lasting for hou-” Mikasa’s word cut off with a pained groan as she hunched over, her hands pressed against her belly.

Vita rubbed Mikasa’s back and whispered soothing words while Armin watched his phone for the timing. It was probably still around five minutes. Armin had said Mikasa tried to get Eren to stay at the conference at least till morning but Grisha was glad Eren knew not to listen to her and leave right away. Grisha had a feeling Mikasa’s mood would improve greatly once Eren was here.

* * *

Eren knew he shouldn’t be calling while he was driving but it had been nearly two hours and he was practically driving himself mad. Everything had to be okay, they’d call him if something went wrong. Wait, would they? Or would they be too worried that he’d just drive even faster if there was. Jesus, he was not helping himself. He picked up his phone and pressed Armin’s number, knowing he’d have his phone and would be with Mikasa.

The phone rang a few times without him picking up which was enough to give Eren a near heart attack as it was. Why wasn’t he answering? Was Mikasa already in for delivery? Or was Armin avoiding his call? Or…

“Hey, buddy, where are you?” Armin’s voice spoke over the phone.

Eren breathed a small sigh of relief. “I’m about an hour and half out, how is she?”

“She’s fine, everything’s fine stop getting yourself worked up.”

Eren opened his mouth to defend himself that he wasn’t but Armin didn’t let Eren get a word in.

“I know you, don’t bother trying. Contractions are around four minutes apart now and the last time the doctor came in she was five centimeters dilated though that was about a half hour ago so it’s hard to say now. Mikasa is getting there, but there’s still time.”

“Whose there with her?”

“Her parents, your parents, and me, though I stepped outside when you called. Annie is in the waiting room and Sasha, Jean and Connie should be with her by now.”

Okay so there were a lot of people there to support her; that made him feel better. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“I know, do you wanna talk to her?”

“Yeah.”

“Hang on a sec.” 

Eren heard the door opening and some chatter, some machine beeps.

“Hey, guess whose on the phone. You wanna talk to him?”

There was silence from a moment and then, “Eren?”

Another breath of relief. “Hey, it’s good to hear your voice.”

“Are you spending your time worrying about me instead of focusing on the road?” Her voice was much more worn than it was a few hours ago but he could still hear the small in her tone.

“Of course not, I never have to worry about you.”

She scoffed. “You’re lying.”

“That may be true.”

She laughed a little. “Are you close? Eren, I need you here.”

His heart clenched. “I know, Mika. I’m not far now okay?”

“See you soon?”

“See you soon.” She must’ve passed the phone back to Armin because Eren heard her choked cries in the background as another contraction must’ve hit.

“Try and make that last hour, okay?” Armin said.

“I will, as quickly as I can.”

* * *

It certainly wasn’t Connie’s first time being in the same room as a woman in labor; he was the oldest of four. It was a little bit different seeing Mikasa there though, brow knitted, sweat on her face with Armin and her family all around her. Still, she still smiled when Connie popped his head in.

“Hey, I didn’t know you guys were here, come in.” She sounded tired and Connie could imagine why. She had already been in here for a while, the contractions had to be pretty close together by now.

“Of course,” Sasha said pushing Connie inside with Jean stepping in behind. “We’d never miss this. We won’t stay long, we just wanted to say hi.”

“We brought presents too,” Connie said, hoping maybe that would help her feel better.

“See, Grisha,” Carla said. “I told you bringing presents was perfectly fine.”

“Not when you wanted to bring a carful of presents, dear.”

Mikasa laughed. “Thank you, I really appreciate it you guys and thank you for coming.”

“We should go but we’ll be outside waiting for good news,” Jean said, tugging on Connie and Sasha’s shoulders. Sasha looked like she didn’t want to leave but judging by the way Armin had his hand on Mikasa’s arm and his eyes on his phone told Connie it was probably better to leave.

“We love you!” Sasha called, Jean still pulling her out. “Aww, man, we just got there.”

“She looked like she was about to have another contraction and might not want us there for that,” Jean shrugged walking back to the waiting room.

Sasha slouched her shoulders and followed him. “Stop being so observant.”

“No?”

* * *

Contractions were about 3 and a half minutes now but Armin was still proud of how well Mikasa was handling it, though her poor mom’s hand might not be fairing so well. Still no call from Eren but he had to be closer by now. Armin just hoped at this rate the baby would even wait for him.

“I’m gonna step outside to check on the others okay?” he asked, leaning down to Mikasa who nodded.

“I’ll keep watch on the time for you,” Grisha said as Armin walked by to the door.

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Armin took a breath when he went out into the hall before he made his way to the waiting room. All of this was a lot; it was a lot of him even though Mikasa was one of his best friends but, for as long as Eren wasn’t here, Armin would be with her and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He was always there for them, especially for the birth of their child.

“Armin!” Sasha nearly shouted, jumping out of her seat. “Is it happening!?”

Armin shook his head. “Not yet. Still waiting on the doctor to come back and give us an update.”

Sasha plopped back down with a sigh. Connie and Jean had looked up from their game of cards on the floor but went back to it when Armin clearly had no news. He went to sit next to Annie who was staring off to the distance next to Sasha.

“Hey,” she said when he sat down. “Tired?”

Armin leaned back in his chair, not even realizing just how tired he was until that point. “Yeah, exhausted but I’m not pushing a baby out so I can’t complain.”

A ghost of a smile crossed Annie’s mouth. “You’re a good friend you know. Not many people would do what you have.”

He shrugged. “I love the both of them and I’d do anything for them, this included. Besides, I know they’d do the same for me.”

Annie arched an eyebrow at him. “Do you plan on having children?”

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Someday. Someone’s gotta play with their little girl.”

“They can just have more.”

“I’m sure they will,” Armin chuckled. He opened an eye to look at her. “Why? Don’t want kids?”

“Never thought about it.”

Armin closed his eyes again, a smile crossing his lips. “Liar.”

She elbowed him in the ribs though it only made him laugh. “Fine, maybe. With the right person.”

“I knew you thought about it.”

She elbowed him again and that time it did hurt.

* * *

“It’s near three minutes,” Carla said as Mikasa cried out going through another contraction. “I’m gonna get the doctor. She has to be close now.” Normally Carla would wait. She understood doctors were busy, her husband and son were doctors, but as a mother she couldn’t sit there and watch Mikasa without helping. This sweet girl Carla knew since Mikasa was nine who Carla loved like her own daughter. No, she needed to do something for Mikasa.

“No need to,” Dr. Ral said, opening the door and already slipping on some gloves. “Did I hear she was three minutes apart?”

“Yeah,” Armin answered since Mikasa was still catching her breath from the last contraction.

Dr. Ral lifted Mikasa’s sheets again and flashed her light as she looked. “Okay, wonderful. You’re at eight centimeters. Almost there since when you get to ten we’ll bring you right into delivery alright?”

“Okay,” Mikasa breathed.

“You’re doing wonderful, everything is looking good. I’ll check in every few minutes now to see how far you’re getting.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Tom nodded from near the door.

“Of course,” she said before leaving again.

“See, sweetheart,” Vita said gently. “You’re almost there.”

Instead of looking relieved like Carla though, Mikasa started to cry. Even though Carla knew it was probably more hormones than actually Mikasa herself it still broke her heart.

“What’s wrong, Mikasa?” Vita asked rubbing her hand against her daughter’s.

“Where’s Eren?” she cried. “Why isn’t he here yet? He needs to be here.”

“You know he’ll be here as soon as he possibly can.” Carla said, leaning over Mikasa’s bed. “He’ll walk in that door any minute tripping over his feet and apologizing over and over again.”

Mikasa sniffed but she also laughed.

“Get ready, another one is coming,” Armin said softly causing Mikasa to start breathing deeper to prepare.

“That’s right,” Vita soothed. “Just keep breathing.”

Mikasa groaned.

* * *

Over two minutes her ass. Mikasa was pretty sure it was like two seconds between contractions not under three minutes.

“Are you sure you’re reading the time right?” Mikasa sighed trying to catch her breath from that last one.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Armin said, leaning into wipe some sweat off her face.

“God, this one just doesn’t want to come out. It’s been hours.”

“I wouldn’t complain too much,” Carla said with a smile from her spot next to Grisha. “I was in labor with Eren for nearly six hours.”

“Why does that not surprise me,” Armin snorted.

“Hopefully she doesn’t take too much after her father in that regard,” Vita said brushing some hair from Mikasa’s face.

She closed her eyes trying to just focus on her breathing knowing there probably wasn’t much more time till the next contraction. She was right. The pain was like nothing she ever experienced before. She groaned squeezing her eyes closed tighter and breathing in short shallow breathes in order to get past it though all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball. It started to loosen up until she felt more exhausted and out of breath but at least the pain was gone for now.

“That was about two minutes, yeah?”

Mikasa’s eyes snapped open; that wasn’t Armin. “Eren,” she breathed, relief filling her body as those stupid tears filled her vision again. “You’re here.”

“Of course,” he said, leaning over her where Armin had been standing to press a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

Mikasa shook her head, none of that really mattered anymore. “You’re here now it’s okay.”

“Alright, I’m gonna wait with the others,” Armin said clasping his hand on Eren’s shoulder. Before Armin got the chance to leave though, Eren reached out and pulled him into a hug.

“Thanks for being there for me,” Eren said and Mikasa thought she might cry again.

“Anytime, buddy.” Armin gave Mikasa thumbs up before he left the room.

“Down to two minutes now, huh,” Eren said and grabbed a hold of his hand, his phone in his other one.

“She’s done very well these past few hours,” Carla said.

“I have no doubt.” Eren gave her hand a squeeze.

Mikasa opened her mouth to talk to him as he looked down at her but that sharp, churning pain had her crying out again. She curled into her stomach, short shallow breaths she had to remind herself. Jesus, it just hurt so much.

“It’s okay, you’re got this just fine.” Eren’s voice was in her ears. “Its almost over, just hang on a little bit more.”

She gasped when it passed, falling back against the bed. “That was _not_ two minutes.”

“One and a half,” Eren said, thumb rubbing against her hand.

Mikasa groaned.

“You’re almost there,” Vita said from the other side of the bed. “I bet the next time the doctor comes in she’ll say you’re ready then it’s just a bit more till you see your daughter.”

That didn’t sound like just a little, that sound like more work than Mikasa had the energy to do.

“I know it sounds like a lot,” Eren said; he must’ve noticed the look in her eyes. “But look how much you’ve done already. You’ve gone through all the ups and downs of carrying that little one, around three hours of labor, and it’s almost over. You’re amazing, Mikasa, of course you can do this.”

Great, now she was crying again. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He leaned in to kiss her forehead again.

“Carla, why are you crying?” Grisha asked getting Mikasa’s attention.

“When did he get so romantic?” Carla answered wiping her eyes.

“I’m gonna try and take that as a compliment, Ma.”

* * *

“Do we know how much longer?” Jean asked, glancing at his phone. He wasn’t trying to be rude, but he was nearly falling asleep in his chair. Sure, he was good friends with the both of them but if this was gonna take another three hours he was gonna home and sleep then come back to see the baby.

“It’s different for every woman,” Sasha said who still looked remarkably awake as she took his spot playing cards on the ground, though the card group now had Reiner and Bertholdt playing with Sasha and Connie.

“The last time the doctor came in when I was in there Mikasa was about two centimeters away, so it’s close,” Armin said, his head rolled back against the back of his chair. “Just depends on how quickly she wants to come out.”

“It might go better now that Eren’s here though, you think?” Sasha asked, placing her hand of cards down and making the other boys groan in defeat.

“We can hope,” Armin said. “We’ll know when his parents and her parents come out here to wait that it’s time.”

“Her mom isn’t going with her too?” Reiner asked as he dealt out new hands.

Armin shook his head, opening his eyes to look at him. “She was only allowed two people and she didn’t want to pick between her mom and Carla so Mikasa chose just to have Eren with her.”

Jean supposed he could understand that, but he never was in this situation, nor did he want to be for a very long time. His phone buzzed in his pocket causing him to pull it out and see who would be texting him so early; sure it wasn’t as early as when he first got here but it was still early enough.

_Marco:_

_Hey! Eren texted me when he got to the hospital but he hasn’t said anything since, not that I blame him but are you there?_

That’s right; Marco was still at the conference Eren had to leave.

_Yeah, I’m here. No baby yet but Armin says Mikasa’s pretty close now._ Jean pushed send and put his phone in his lap in case Marco texted him back. Sure enough it buzzed back quickly.

_Well, close is good. Let me know when you do, I know Eren will probably be a little busy. How’re you guys holding up waiting?_

Jean snorted as he typed back. _Exhausted, we’ve been here for almost as long as she has, but I mean, it’ll be worth it in the end. It’s just getting to the end and getting tired of Sasha beating us all in poker for hours._

“Who’re you talking to?” Annie asked, leaning slightly over to Jean who nearly dropped his phone in surprise.

“When did you get so nosey?” Jean said.

Annie didn’t say anything, she just watched him.

“Fine,” he sighed, really not in the mood to fight with anyone. “Marco, he’s a nurse and shift supervisor in the ER. He was at the conference Eren was at and was asking how things were going. Happy?”

“How do you know him then?”

Jean’s phone buzzed in his lap. “He went to college with Sasha, so mutual friends.”

Annie seemed satisfied enough, well, as satisfied as Annie could look and she leaned back in her own chair. Everyone must’ve been tired if she of all people was starting to ask questions like that.

_Marco:_

_That sounds about right :) Maybe I’ll teach you her tells when I get back from this conference_

Jean glanced over to Annie to make sure she wasn’t staring at him again so he could send his text in peace. _If I can beat her, I think I could die happy. How’s the conference?_ He hit send once more, feeling at least a little more awake now.

* * *

The only thing that was harder for Tom than to stand there and watch his daughter in near constant pain was when he had to watch his wife go through it. It was worth it in the end of course but for now it was hard to watch.

“They’re less than a minute apart now,” Eren said from Mikasa’s bed side holding her hand tightly as she was hunched over in pain.

“Dr. Ral said Mikasa was at nine centimeter last time.” Carla said. “She has to be ready by now.”

“Please,” Mikasa moaned, breathing now that there seemed to be a small break between her contractions.

“Just hang in there, you’re doing great,” Eren said but Mikasa cried out as another contraction must’ve come in.

“Those are coming in quick,” Dr. Ral said stepping into the room. She gave a quick look under the sheets. “Oh she is crowning. Its time, you ready, Mikasa?”

She was still going through a contraction but she nodded.

“Alright, let’s get you to a delivery room.” Dr. Ral opened the door and gestured for some nurses to come help with the bed.

Tom moved to help Vita out of her chair so they could get Mikasa out of the room but Vita didn’t seem to want to quite move. “She’ll fine,” he said leaning over. “She’s not alone in there. You know she’ll be just fine.”

Vita nodded and stood up watching the nurses wheel Mikasa out, Eren following alongside. Grisha gave his son a pat on the back before the door closed behind them.

Tom felt Vita trying not to cry next to him and he reached an arm around her as he looked down. “Why’re you crying? She hasn’t even had the baby yet.”

“But that’s my baby and she’s having a baby,” Vita cried.

Well, it was the truth. Tom couldn’t help but remember all morning that the last time he was here was when Mikasa was born. That was his little girl, but she was all grown up now, having a family of her own. And Eren, Tom had known Eren since he was a boy and he was a good man; Tom knew he didn’t need to worry. “She’s in good hands,” he said, rubbing Vita’s arm.

“She’s a tough girl,” Carla said, as Grisha opened the door; she was looking a little misty eyed herself. “She’ll be just I have no doubt.”

Vita nodded though she was still choked up.

“Shall we go wait with the others?” Grisha asked gesturing out the door.

Tom led Vita out after them. A part of him was sad because it was hard to watch your kids grow up but the other part of him was happy. After all, Mikasa would always be his daughter and now he was gonna be a grandpa.

* * *

Sasha never thought she ever felt so impatient in her life; her foot wouldn’t stop twitching, and she couldn’t sit still. She just wanted to know if the baby was delivered or not but Eren and the hospital staff would be the only ones who would know and they hadn’t come out yet.

The poker games stopped, and silence settled over the waiting room. Yeah, they weren’t the only ones in the waiting room any more but since Ymir and Historia got here, they took up a good majority of the waiting room. Jean was still texting someone, and Armin had his head in his hands as he leaned forward on his knees while Annie stared off in the distance. Ymir and Historia talked softly to each other and maybe Connie had fallen asleep sitting between Bertholdt and Reiner. It was the parents who looked the most nervous aside from Armin which made sense; parents always worried and Armin, well, he was the godfather so he counted too Sasha guessed.

She breathed out a sigh in the quiet room. They should be happy, not nervous. There were no complications so far so why should they happen now? Granted, Sasha didn’t know a ton about delivering babies aside from what she saw in movies and in _Friends_ which she recently binged watched all nine seasons instead of doing actual work. There could be complications in actual delivery sometimes she thought but not Mikasa, she was perfectly healthy and had a fine pregnancy.

Still, Sasha just wished Eren would walk out here already and tell the good news so the anxiety in the pit of her stomach would go away.

* * *

“Here she is,” a nurse spoke as she walked over holding a bundle of pink blankets in her arms.

Eren was still utterly amazed. After everything Mikasa had been though, the hours of labor, the delivery of the baby, she was exhausted but her face was still bright and a smile Eren couldn’t even describe on her lips as she took the baby in her hands…their baby, their daughter. He was sitting on the bed with Mikasa, his arm around her and her body resting up against him though her arms were now full.

“Hello,” Mikasa said in a soft tone, a gentle one. “Isabelle.”

She didn’t move too much, eyes still closed but Eren wasn’t sure he ever saw anything so beautiful. They did this, this was their daughter, their family. He didn’t even know there were tears in his eyes until he heard Mikasa sniff.

“Isabelle.” Eren tested out her name on his lips.

She squirmed a little bit but seemed to be content, well, she wasn’t crying at least.

Mikasa chuckled as she carefully brushed the thin but quite a lot of stands of brown hair already covering Isabell’s head. “She’ll have your thick hair.”

“She has your nose.”

Mikasa brought Isabelle closer to her, pressing a light kiss on the little girl’s forehead. The look on Mikasa’s face only filled Eren with warmth; yeah, this had been a surprise for the both of them but now sitting there with Mikasa and their child, nothing ever could’ve felt so right. “Why don’t you meet your daddy too, hmm?”

Eren suddenly felt panicked as Mikasa was moving to pass Isabelle to him. What if he held her wrong? Hurt her? Dropped her?

“C’mon,” Mikasa said, moving over a bit so he had more room on the bed. “I know you, Eren, you’d never hurt her.”

Eren held his hands out as Mikasa carefully passed the bundle to him.

Isabelle curled into him the moment he had a grip on her; her small head was pressed against his chest.

“See,” Mikasa said, leaning into them. “She knows who her daddy is.” Mikasa reached up to brush some of his tears off his face while Eren leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. She smiled as she kissed him back.

“I love you,” he murmured against her as he pulled away. “And I love you too, Iz.” Eren kissed the little girl’s forehead. Mikasa rested her head against Eren’s shoulder, fingers reaching over to brush by Isabelle’s face as she laid in Eren’s arms.

“I’ve never been happier, Mika.” He meant it, more than he ever thought he would. Mikasa he could always see as a mother but himself as a father? No, that wasn’t until the moment he held his daughter. “Should I go put them outta their misery?”

Mikasa laughed as Eren passed Isabelle back to her mother, the girl curling into Mikasa like she had done with Eren. “Yes.”

“Do you want them all to come in?”

She nodded looking down at the small bundle in her arms. “Yes, I want her to always know how many people love her, even if she doesn’t know it yet.”

Eren already felt an ache in his chest just standing up and walking outta the room. He was a father now, an actual father…it did feel different. Even though one moment she wasn’t there and the next she was it was like in that one moment his whole life changed. His daughter, his and Mikasa’s daughter. He felt like a part of his life he never knew was missing was filled.

He turned the corner into the waiting room and nearly everyone jumped up to their feet making him grin. He couldn’t wait to tell them.

* * *

“They all look the same,” Levi said as he stared over the bins of small squirming babies through the glass of the nursery.

“They do not!” Hanji exclaimed from her spot next to him. “Look, that baby as big eyes and brown hair and the one next to him his a girl with red hair and tiny eyes.”

Levi shrugged. “Yeah, but they all look the same, like babies or something.”

“The babies look like babies. You are jet lagged, aren’t you?”

He grunted and ignored her. Okay, yeah, he was tired. He flew all the way out here and across a few time zones only to have some nurse say he had to wait out here for whatever reason. The baby was born early this morning, but they wouldn’t let him go to Mikasa’s room.

“Which one is your niece?” Hanji asked, her voice a little softer.

Levi scanned over the babies in front of them, some of the girls were easy rule outs but there was one girl in the center that Levi knew without a doubt was Isabelle Jaeger. “That one,” Levi pointed.

Hanji squinted. “You can’t even see the name tag, how do you know?”

“The eyes, they’re her father’s.”

Hanji made some kinda gross cooing noise. “She’s beautiful. Does she look like your sister or the father?”

“She looks like him, but God help us if she takes after him.”

“I suppose I should expect that.”

Levi looked up to see Eren standing behind Mikasa’s wheelchair. She was sitting, watching Levi with a smile.

“I can’t believe you got here so fast. Dad only just told me you were coming,” Mikasa said trying to stand up from the chair to go to him, but Levi met her with a short hug so she wouldn’t have to stand up.

“I had to make sure he was taking care of you didn’t I?”

“It’s nice to see you too,” Eren rolled his eyes.

Levi extended his hand to him to which Eren grabbed it to shake. Eren wasn’t a bad guy, well, he was annoying as a kid but he was a good guy. If it was anyone he trusted with his sister it was him and Levi knew Eren knew it; after all he was still alive.

“Did you see her?” Mikasa asked, her eyes bright.

Levi always knew motherhood would suit her; it was always a matter of time. “Yeah, cute little thing.” He pointed to where he had shown Hanji a few moments ago.

“How’d you know?” Mikasa asked, her forehead furrowed.

“The eyes,” Hanji piped up from behind him, looking over from Eren to the nursery and to Eren again. “Wow, you were right weren’t you?”

Levi elbowed her in the ribs, that wasn’t exactly how he wanted to introduce her but now both Eren and Mikasa looked confused so he didn’t have a choice. “This is Hanji, Hanji this is my sister Mikasa and her fiancé Eren.”

“Hi,” Hanji waved with that ridiculous smile of hers. “It’s nice to finally put faces to names and nice to meet you of course.”

Levi figured he might get more than just a few questions since he rarely even brought girls home when he lived at home let alone fly them home with him but Mikasa just smiled and waved back.

“It’s nice to meet you too. Are you two staying for a few days?” Mikasa said.

“Mom and Dad would kill me if I came to visit you and not them. Besides, gotta make sure my little sister gets outta the hospital okay.” Levi shrugged and looked back into the nursery; Isabelle was all bundled up in the bin probably so she didn’t hurt herself while she was laying there, but she wasn’t fussing, just wide eyes looking all around. Maybe she would take after Mikasa after all. “And what kinda uncle would I be if I didn’t meet my niece before I left.”

He was pretty sure he had never seen Mikasa or Eren happier in their whole lives. Really, how could Levi complain when his family was happy?


	11. Sick

_**mcpeterism** **:**  Imagine Eren and Mikasa with their first, young kid (like 1 year old) and the kid gets sick for the first time and they don't know what to do, so they call their parents._

* * *

 

If Mikasa could sleep for an entire day she probably would, maybe add a few extra days on there too. Ever since Eren had to go back to his residency after Isabelle was born it was just like there weren’t enough hours in the day to take care of a baby and sleep at the same time. Carla came over often to help but sometimes nothing seemed to help Mikasa’s never ending exhaustion; especially when she finally got comfortable laying down on the couch and then Isabelle started to cry over the small baby monitor on the coffee table.

Mikasa groaned as she pried her eyes open and looked over to the nearest clock. Eren would walk through the door any second, and he’d go right to Isabelle’s room like he always did. Of course, she had to wake up before he got home leaving Mikasa to push herself off the bed, and walk up the stairs.

She didn’t mean to sound so miserable when she really did love her little daughter and her big eyes and toothy smiles and how much she already looked like her dad but Mikasa also liked sleeping, and that was something she missed dearly.

“Okay, okay,” Mikasa said, pushing open the door to the nursery. “I heard you the first time, little girl.”

Isabelle at least stopped scream crying when she heard Mikasa’s voice but even as she walked to the crib Iz was still whining and whimpering, distressed over who knew what. Her legs were kicking and one hand tightly flailing a stuffed animal around, which was all pretty normal but Mikasa’s chest clenched. Something wasn’t right.

She wasn’t entirely sure what made her think that, but she did. She reached down to carefully pick Isabelle up, which only made her cry again. That was unusual. She couldn’t be hungry; Mikasa fed her not too long ago and changed even more recently.

“It’s okay,” Mikasa tried to soothe, cradling Isabelle to her chest as she moved to get a tissue off the changing table nearby. “Daddy’ll be home soon to play with you. You’ll like that, hmm?”

No response other than squirming and crying.

Mikasa wiped off the snot that was running down Isabelle’s face, but more kept coming down. Mikasa furrowed her forehead. Sure, Isabelle was crying but Mikasa had to grab another tissue Isabelle’s nose was running so much.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard footsteps downstairs, the somewhat distant call of her name. Isabelle was still crying but now that Mikasa listened it did sound different. Maybe that’s why she knew something was wrong; Isabelle’s crying was far more congested than it normally was, like her head was all stuffed up.

“Eren,” Mikasa called out, knowing he was probably already on his way up. She wasn’t sure if it was the way she called his name, or if he noticed the way Isabelle’s crying was congested, or just simply the look on Mikasa’s face when he walked in the room, but he already had a worried look on his face that probably matched hers.

“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately.

“I, um…” Mikasa started, trying to bounce Isabelle a little in her arms to see if she’d stop crying. “I think she might be sick.”

“Sick? With what?” It probably would’ve been very cute the way his voice raised quite a few octaves when he said that if Mikasa already wasn’t trying to control her own panicked feelings.

“I don’t know. Her nose is running, and she sounds all congested, she started crying when I picked her up.”

“Okay, um…” He looked like he was trying to think of something but his only looked concerned as he watched Isabelle carefully. “Anything else?”

As if on cue Isabelle coughed so hard it shook her small body, and Mikasa felt uncontrollable tears well up in her eyes. She pressed her hand to Isabelle’s back as that fear and worry Mikasa was trying to hold together was quickly falling apart. What if something was really wrong? Did they take Isabelle to the hospital right now? Did they call the doctor? Should she just call Carla?

“Hey, hey, don’t panic, okay?” Eren said, reaching one hand out to Mikasa’s face and the other to the back of Isabelle’s head, almost getting lost in her full head of hair. If Mikasa wasn’t already on the verge of losing her composure she would’ve rolled her eyes. That was always what Eren said when he was the one panicking, which he was because she could see it in his eyes no matter how much he was trying to hide it. “Just take her and go sit down, try and see if you can get her to stop crying. I’ll…um…I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Eren, where the hell are you going?” she exclaimed as he was already almost out of the room. “You’re the med student, not me.”

“Yeah,” he turned back to face her from the hallway. “Mik, in the ER. If she shoved a Lego up her nose I got it covered but I’m going to figure it out, okay?”

“What if we have to go take her to the hospital though? What if we have to leave now?”

He held his hand up, palm open to her. “Five minutes okay?”

“Are you going to call your mom?”

“Five minutes!” Eren called, already nearly running down the hallway.

Mikasa sighed and looked back down to the crying baby in her arms. “It’s okay, Iz, I promise it’s okay.” But Mikasa didn’t actually know. Isabelle coughed nearly making Mikasa cry again. She closed her eyes as she rocked Isabelle against her.

Runny nose. Cough. Congestion. If it was her or Eren she’d say it was a cold or the flu. Mikasa quickly reached a hand up to Isabelle’s forehead. No fever. Well, that was good at least.

Maybe it was just a cold? Babies got colds pretty easily right? Didn’t her doctor tell her that at some point? What else happened with colds? Sore throat. Well, judging by Isabelle’s lungs, that seemed to be okay. Um, aching body.

“Does your body hurt, Isabelle?” Mikasa asked knowing Iz would only cry in return regardless. Maybe that’s why she started to cry when Mikasa picked her up. What if Isabelle’s body ached and her skin was sensitive to the touch?

Mikasa quickly and carefully balanced Isabelle with one arm, using her other hand to rummage through a dresser until she could pull out the outfit she was looking for. It was getting to be warmer out which is why Mikasa packed it away but maybe it would help. She placed Isabelle on the changing table. She was still cough crying so visibly upset that Mikasa felt helpless at what to do.

“Maybe this will help,” she said holding up the onesie made of microfleece Levi (or more than likely Hanji) bought for the colder days. “It’s nice and soft, it might make your skin feel better.”  

Isabelle didn’t sound hopeful but Mikasa went about carefully taking Iz out of the onesie she was wearing. Mikasa didn’t get too far when she heard a loud crash from the other room, like something fell over, many smaller things falling after it.

“It’s fine!” Eren’s muffled voice called. “I’m fine!” He didn’t sound too fine with his strained voice cracking a little but she couldn’t just leave Isabelle and go check on him. Mikasa had to trust he wasn’t the one who had to go to the hospital.

Isabelle’s crying finally, thankfully, started to wind down to whimpers and whines again once Mikasa zipped the onesie up.

“You like that better?” Mikasa picked Isabelle back up but this time when she settled into Mikasa’s arms Iz didn’t start to cry again. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Mikasa grabbed a blanket off the nearby shelf and walked over to the wooden rocking chair that sat next to the window. As gently as she could, she sat down and bundled her and Isabelle underneath the soft fleece while Mikasa cradled the small girl against her.

Isabelle looked up with those big, watery eyes, her nose still running a bit and a cough here and there. She reached a hand out, grasping into Mikasa’s shirt before Isabelle rolled head against Mikasa’s chest.

“It’s okay, everything’s okay,” Mikasa said as much to herself as she did to Isabelle. Mikasa reached a hand up to brush some of Isabelle’s feathery bangs out of her face. “Save for Daddy. I’m not one hundred percent sure he’s okay.”

Isabelle coughed, her eyes shutting and then opening up again to look at Mikasa.

“Yeah, I agree.”

“A cold,” Eren breathed.

Mikasa looked up to the doorway where Eren was standing, holding his chest like he just ran a marathon.

“As far as I can tell it’s just a cold. Common with small immune systems. Watch the symptoms to see if they get worse or if anything problematic occurs then we can call the doctor.”

Mikasa breathed a small sigh of relief. She was still worried, she didn’t want anything to ever be wrong but at least she knew it wasn’t dire. She trusted Eren to have checked probably a million times before he came in here to tell her that as well. “Are you okay?” she asked.

He nodded, walking into the room to stand in front of her and Isabelle. “Are you?”

Isabelle coughed again but this time her eyes were looking up at Eren, one hand reaching out to him.

“I will be,” she said.

Eren reached out to tap her shoulder, causing her to scoot forward enough for him to kick a leg behind her and sit down in the chair with a sigh. He reached his arms around Mikasa, coming to rest over hers that were holding Isabelle.

There was a part of her that was still terrified that this small thing who depended on her and Eren for everything needed more than they could see, that they’d let her down somehow. Mikasa leaned back against Eren, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. She knew he felt the same, but she also knew they were in this together, as was their family. Isabelle wasn’t alone and neither were they. This was better.

He moved his head closer to hers, pressing a kiss to her temple, her eyes fluttering shut at the sudden waves of comfort that eased her body. Much better.

Isabelle whined a little, hitting at Eren’s arm with her hand.

“Yes, princess, I see you,” he said, tapping his hand against her body. “Everything is gonna be okay.”

He kissed Mikasa’s cheek, as she looked down at Isabelle watching the both of them, and that time Mikasa did believe him.


	12. Memories

_**Anonymous:**  “You don’t remember?”_

* * *

Mikasa was a little sappy, she knew it; everyone probably knew it. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed that she was sitting on the couch long past midnight, one lamp on shining a light on the photo album she had in her lap.

It was one of many as her mother-in-law loved nothing more than to make large and rather expansive photo albums; and considering Mikasa had known Eren since they were children, there were a lot of pictures of them. This particular one wasn’t terribly long as Carla started it when Mikasa was pregnant with Isabelle who wasn’t even really that old.

Mikasa was more than a little happy she was alone when she felt her eyes start to prick with tears, a half sob caught in her throat at the sight of Iz’s little baby pictures.

Okay, it was fairly irrational. Children grow up, that’s what happens. It’s not a bad thing in the least. Yet here she was nearly crying over a photo album just because they moved Isabelle from the nursery to her very own room, her own bed. Isabelle had been absolutely thrilled that she wasn’t a baby anymore, and Mikasa was happy too, she was.

Ignoring the fact her baby wasn’t a baby anymore.

“Mikasa?”

She nearly jumped out of the couch at the sound of Eren’s slightly tired voice. “Yeah?” She responded, not turning her head until she wiped her face of the tears that would completely give her away. She almost slammed the photo album shut but that would only make her look guiltier.

“What’re you doing?”

She turned her head to see him trying to stifle a yawn as he walked the rest of the way down the stairs. “Oh nothing.”

Eren paused when he was standing in front of the couch, eyebrow arched. Clearly he was awake enough to see through her. “Oh, yeah, doing nothing, just sulking over a photo album.”

“I am not sulking.”

“You’re sulking.” He flopped himself down next to her on the couch but didn’t say anything else. He just leaned himself over her to look at the pictures in her hands. “Oh, yeah, I remember that,” he said, tapping his finger on the picture of Armin holding up Isabelle over his head. “She threw up on him shortly after.”

Mikasa snorted in laughter despite herself. “Luckily he’s the good natured one, Jean never took it quite as well.” She flipped the page feeling a little better with Eren there, his chin on her shoulder as he looked through the pictures.

“Yeah, well, Jean doesn’t take anything well.”

“Look at this one,” Mikasa said, brushing her finger over one of the glossed over pictures. Isabelle was still so very small sleeping as she was nestled in Eren’s arm. He was talking to someone out of the picture thought judging by the antagonizing look on his face it probably was Jean.

Eren furrowed his forehead. “Where did that come from?”

Mikasa looked over to blink at him. “Are you serious?”

“Why would I ask if I wasn’t serious?”

She had to pause for a second. “You don’t remember?”

“No, that’s obviously why I’m asking.”

“Eren, that was your birthday. We were literally there for you.”

“Which one?”

“Oh my God.” She couldn’t hold back her laughter any more as she reached over to hit him in the chest. “It wasn’t that long ago.”

“Dunno, the way you were looking so sad when I came down here you’d think it was twenty years ago.”

She hit him again when she realized he was only teasing her. “Stop it.”

Eren reached over to tap at the picture, his finger drawing a small line of Isabelle’s little body. “You miss it?”

She thought the question was rather obvious but still she went to answer that yeah she did; it wasn’t what came out.

“I want to have another baby.”

Saying the words out loud almost even surprised her but there they were and she wasn’t about to take them back. She could feel his eyes on her but she just kept looking down at the album where his hand was still resting.

“Okay.”

That time she did look up. “Okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” he said again though this time with a little shrug. “Got a great wife, already have one great kid, why not. There’s plenty of room here. Besides…” Eren tapped at the picture again. “I kinda miss it too.”

A smiled pulled at her lips as she leaned her face closer to his. “You sure you remember it?”

“Cute, Mikasa, real cute.”

It didn’t stop him from closing the small distance to kiss her.


	13. Play Date

_**Anonymous:**  Can you do a fic of Eren and Mikas's kids having a playdate with kids from another ship?_

* * *

 

The summer was probably Mikasa’s favorite time of the year. Everything was always so green and bright, it was warm and gorgeous outside nearly every day and even though school was out, Mikasa could still get the kids out of the house by taking them outside.

“Iz!” Mikasa called from her spot sitting in the park green to get her daughter’s attention on the playscape. Once the brunette girl looked up with wide eyes just like her father’s, Mikasa gestured to the steps leading up to where Isabelle was standing. “Don’t leave your brother behind.”

Isabelle scurried back down to help the toddler up the set of stairs without hurting himself. When Mikasa was satisfied both of her children were able to enjoy the playground she hit her hand down on her husband’s chest who was laying down next to her.

Eren grunted but he didn’t move his arm from over his eyes.

“Are you just gonna sleep the whole time?” she asked leaning back on her elbows so she was closer to where his face was.

He moved his arm slightly, and cracked one eye open at her. “The heat always makes me tired.”

“Then go play with the kids and get some energy back.”  

Eren put his arm back over his eyes but he moved his other hand to rest on her lap. “Nah, they’re fine for now, besides I like spending time with just you, you know.”

Mikasa rolled her eyes but he still had her smiling. “Yes, I know that, thank you.”

“I’d say lay down with me but the last time we did that we got arrested for public indecency.”

“Eren,” Mikasa went to hit him again but he caught her hand before she could and laced his fingers with hers. “I’m pretty sure we agreed to never talk about that again.”

There was another laugh nearby that made Mikasa look over.

“It’s not like everyone didn’t know anyway,” Ymir snorted, Historia and Maya trailing not too far behind.

“No secrets between friends, huh,” Eren said, pushing himself up to sit on his elbows while Mikasa went to sit up to call Isabelle and Nic in but they were already on their way; Iz must’ve seen her aunts coming and grabbed Nic’s hand to go say hi.

“Not one’s that hilarious,” Ymir said dropping her bag on the ground and sitting on the blanket next to Eren’s legs. “You gonna move your butt so my wife can sit down too?”

Eren gave a dramatic sigh but he easily pushed himself up and slipped behind Mikasa, so she was sitting between his legs to make a little more room. Historia waved with her free hand before sitting a little bit behind Ymir, shifting her daughter in her lap so the toddler could sit up till she was ready to play.

“How are you guys?” Historia asked while Ymir reached behind her to brush back some of Maya’s hair that fell in her face.

Eren looked like he was going to answer but before he could Isabelle jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing her face against his. “As good as always,” he laughed, reaching behind him to tickle Iz’s side that sent the six year old into a fit of laughter. Nicolas looked like he wanted to do the same but there wasn’t enough room so he fell into Mikasa’s lap instead, giggling when she scooped him up into her arms.

“Did you say hello to your aunts?” Eren asked as Isabelle shook her head into his.

“Hi, hi,” Nic leaned towards Ymir and Historia though whether he was saying hi to the both of them or saying hi for him and his sister, Mikasa wasn’t sure.

“And no hello from the one who can actually talk.” Ymir gave an exaggerated huff as she looked over to Iz.

“C’mon, knock it off.” Eren patted Isabelle on the back to get her to move. “You’ve known them your whole life, stop acting shy.”

Isabelle begrudgingly let go of Eren but was quick to give both her aunts a hug before gently patting Maya on the head. The small blonde reached up with a laugh to bat at Isabelle’s hands.

“Do you wanna go play?” Historia asked, bouncing Maya in her arms.

Maya nodded eagerly, nearly falling out of her mom’s lap to get up.

Isabelle took her hand to help the little girl up to her feet. “Are you coming, Nic?” She extended her hand towards the other toddler. Nicolas rolled out of Mikasa’s lap, pushing himself up to his feet to grab a hold of his sister’s other hand.

“You’re the oldest, Iz,” Eren said, leaning into Mikasa. “That means you gotta watch them okay?”

“I got it, Daddy,” she said before carefully walking both kids back to the playground.

“She might look like me,” Eren said, his lips close to Mikasa’s ear. “But that was all you.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Mikasa arched her eyebrow at him.

“Maybe for Eren,” Ymir snorted. “Two ladies to keep him in line.”

“Do you want to have more kids?” Historia asked, leaning back on her hands once she was satisfied the kids made it to the playscape okay.

“Our hands are full enough right now,” Mikasa rolled her eyes though the thought of her household getting bigger did still make her smile. “But maybe. What about you two, one not enough?”

“One toddler is plenty enough,” Ymir said. “Maybe when she gets older, but for now she’s all we need.”

Mikasa leaned her head back against Eren’s shoulder when he moved to wrap his arms around her waist. She saw Izzy going back and forth between Maya and Nic carefully pushing them on the swings. “She’s gonna be everyone’s babysitter isn’t she?”

“At least she’ll be making plenty of money, pretty sure we’ve reached that time when everyone starts having kids of their own,” Ymir said, dropping her sunglasses from the top of her head to over her eyes.

It was a nice thought. While Mikasa and Eren were the firsts out of their friends to start a family, they certainly weren’t the only ones. Maya came next, with Nic not too far behind, and now more and more of their friends were in those beginning stages of their own families. Mikasa was happy for all of them and for herself because it only meant her family was getting bigger; it also meant more kids and parents Mikasa actually liked for her children to be around.

“Well, not too much longer here and my boy will have someone who isn’t a girl to play with,” Eren said.

“What’s wrong with playing with girls?” Historia asked.

“Nothing.” Eren raised his hands slightly in defense. “I’m nearly outnumbered in my house and there’s nothing wrong with that. I just meant Iz and I assume Maya aren’t gonna wanna play with dirt and bugs their whole lives. At least another boy around means he won’t get grossed out if a slimy earthworm comes along or something.”

“Eren, I think you’re forgetting this boy is also Armin’s son,” Mikasa laughed. “I don’t think even he’s gonna like slimy earthworms.”

“Nah, a day with his Uncle Eren will change that just fine.”

“You might have better luck with Sasha’s kid,” Ymir said. “I’m pretty sure growing up on a farm that kid will love worms regardless of what gender it’s gonna be.”

“That’s true, I might have to start banking on her kid instead.”

Mikasa moved her arm to elbow him in the gut.

“Kidding,” Eren laughed with a slight cough. “I was just kidding. Armin’s my best friend of course I’ll watch his kids regardless of much they do or do not like worms.”

“Speaking of Armin, is he coming by?” Historia asked, obviously changing the subject from the ridiculous topic at hand; not that it was unusual.

“I told him he could when he got out of work,” Mikasa said. “He said he might but it all depended on how mama and baby are doing.”

“Annie could come too. It’s not like she isn’t gonna get used to do this with us and Sasha eventually too.” Ymir leaned back on her elbows looking over the playground. “Well, one of you are gonna have to move in a second, Nic just hit his head against the railing.”

Mikasa looked over to where the last place she saw her son and sure enough he had his hand on his head looking a bit confused for a moment. That quickly changed of course and Mikasa’d know that watery eyed look, the lower lip popping to know what was coming. Her heart clenched and she went to push herself to her feet but Eren patted her on the stomach.

“I got it.” He jumped up to his feet and went to head over just as the crying started. Isabelle had Maya’s hand and was trying to get Nicolas to move off the area he sat down in but he wasn’t having it. Eren had to maneuver around the playscape a little bit to get to Nic who had his arms outstretched to his dad. The crying got considerable less loud when he was in Eren’s arms, face pressed up against his shoulder.

Isabelle was walking beside; making sure Maya was still with her every so often. She looked worried and was saying something to Eren but he just reached down to rub the back of her head. Maya let go of Iz’s hand and ran until she fell laughing into Ymir’s outstretched arms.

Eren sat back down behind Mikasa, though this time with a sniffling toddler latched onto him.

“What happened, buddy?” she asked, turning around to carefully run her fingers down the back of Nic’s head to feel for bumps.

“Just a little knock on the head is all.” Eren tried to lift Nic a little bit but his hands were clasped tight onto Eren’s shirt, face still pressed into him.

“Mommy?” Isabelle sounded upset herself making Mikasa look up to her. “I’m sorry, I should’ve watched him better.”

Mikasa took great love in these days before the sibling rivalry and teasing started because she knew that was bound to come eventually. “It’s not your fault, sweetheart, accidents happen. Why don’t you come sit down and we’ll eat lunch, sound good?”

Isabelle nodded, looking much happier than she had a moment ago. She sat down next to Mikasa and reached for the large bag they brought with them. “Nana made lunch for us today. I helped her with it,” Iz announced proudly.

“Lunch made by Nana and Izzy, sounds good me, what about you, Maya?” Ymir said lifting her daughter up and blowing raspberries against her neck.

“Yeah!” Maya exclaimed in between fits laughter.

Isabelle started to pass out the plates and utensils while Historia reached over in the bag to help dividing up the food between them. Nic still hadn’t let go of Eren but he didn’t seem to mind; he was talking to Nic about the food they were gonna eat and he look a lot less hysterical and a lot more interested.

Mikasa really did love the summers but the summers to come were going to get even more exciting in all good and bad connotations of the word.


	14. Mother's Day

**Anonymous:**  Hey. I know it's late but could you make a story with Eren and Mikasa celebrating Mother's Day? Please?

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Eren knew he was probably gonna pay later for waking his kids up so early in the morning, but it was really hard to do anything without Mikasa knowing if he didn’t get up before her. Isabelle seemed to be okay for the most part, she was walking down the steps in front of him though a little drowsily. Nicolas made some whining noises as he clung to Eren’s shirt, head resting sleepily on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I know, buddy. Your mom wakes up far too early for us to ever surprise her,” Eren said, giving his youngest a rub on the back.

“What’re we doing for mommy?” Isabelle asked trying to stifle a yawn.

Eren glanced out one of the windows when his bare feet hit the first floor of their house; the sun was just rising now. Normally Mikasa would already be getting up, even on a Sunday, so he hoped she listened to the note he left on his pillow for her to sleep in for once. “We’re gonna make Mama’s favorite breakfast for her. You know what that is right?”

“Pancakes!” Isabelle practically skipped into the kitchen when Eren flipped the light on. Though, he wasn’t quite sure if she was excited about making them for her mom or eating them herself.

“Not just any pancakes though.” Eren tried to place Nic on the counter to free up his hands but the moment he did the toddler started to cry so that wasn’t happening at the moment. Clearly he took after Eren in the not a morning person regard. “Your Nana’s chocolate chip pancakes. She used to make them for your mom nearly every Saturday morning when we were younger.”

He grabbed a stool from around the other side of the island in the center of the kitchen and dragged it in with the hand that he could since Nicolas was grasping onto him again.

Isabelle climbed up onto it, sitting her knees on the top so she could reach the counter better. “You know how to make it?”

“Of course I do. Sometimes if I could wake myself up I’d help Nana make them.”

“Are we seeing Nana today too?”

Eren opened up one of the lower cabinets to pull out a mixing bowl and gathering some of the cooking utensils they’d need. “Yes, and Grandma too. We’ll go out to dinner with them and some of your aunts.” He placed the bowl and mixing spoons on the counter, Iz already diving for them. He adjusted Nic in his arms and went to grab all the ingredients that they’d need. It had been a little while since he made them but he did make sure they had everything, chocolate chips included, before this morning.

“Alright.” He grabbed some eggs from the fridge and placed everything on the counter. “Batter’s first, so we’re gonna put the dry things in then mix the liquids in, got it?”

“Got it,” Iz nodded placing herself right in front of bowl.

Eren grabbed another stool and pulled it around so he and Nic could sit down when they were ready; though Eren was pretty sure Nic had fallen asleep already. “We need to make enough for all of us so we’re gonna make a lot of batter. Go ahead and dump a whole lotta flour in the bowl.”

Iz looked up at him, her forehead scrunched. “Don’t we have to measure it?”

“Technically, but Nana never used measuring cups so I wouldn’t even know what to measure.”

Isabelle didn’t look too convinced but she picked up the bag of flour and opened it. Eren grabbed the bottom of it to help her pour it in the bowl but true to flour’s nature it puffed out, coating Isabelle and the counter with it. She seemed to be fine with it, giggling as she brushed it off her nightgown.  “What’s next?” she asked looking up at Eren.

“Some sugar, a few tablespoons of it.” He popped open the fridge again, pulling out a stick of butter.

Isabelle placed the tablespoon on the counter and grabbed the bag of sugar. Eren had to adjust Nic on his hip so he could cut off half the butter to toss in a bowl and melt in the microwave. When he turned back around most of the counter was covered in sugar as Iz was trying to pour the sugar into the small tablespoon.

“Hey, sweetheart, you can just scoop the tablespoon into the sugar.” He expected a mess, how could he not?

“Oh.” She scooped up the sugar off the counter with the tablespoon which didn’t do much to clean but at least the sugar was in the bowl.

Eren waited by the microwave till he heard the beep and pulled out the hot liquid butter. He placed it out of reach on the counter and sat him and Nic down next to Iz. “Salt is next, we just need a little.”

“Cause pancakes are sweet!”

“That’s right, hold out the tablespoon and I’ll pour the salt.”

She held the tablespoon with both her hands while Eren poured the right amount of salt, having Isabelle dump it in the bowl. He had her do the same for the baking soda, though that time she accidentally dropped the tablespoon sending backing powder to the floor.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said, eyes getting wide.

“That’s alright, we can clean up later, okay? Just be glad you aren’t cooking with your uncle Levi.”

That made her giggle and she grabbed a hold of the tablespoon again, holding it tighter this time.

“Ready to move to the eggs?” Eren asked grabbing one of the smaller bowls on the counter. “We need a few of them. Think you can crack it?”

Nicolas suddenly started to move towards the table, fingers reaching for the sugar spilled on the table.

“Oh now you’re awake,” Eren said poking Nic in the sides to make him laugh. Eren let Nic get a little bit of sugar on his finger, which he promptly brought up to his mouth with a grin. “Okay,” Eren laughed. “Grab an egg, Iz, and crack it carefully against the counter just so it gets a small crack.”

She did as she was told but hit it a little too hard, smashing the egg against the counter. “Oops.”

“Here.” Eren balanced Nic on his lap so he could have two hands to crack the egg enough to break it open and let it fall into the bowl. “Like that.”

Iz tried again but it was much the same effect as before. This was why he made sure there were a dozen eggs in the fridge.

“Okay, Iz, grab another one. Don’t worry, breaking eggs is always hard when you first try.”

When she did, he held his hand over hers to make sure she didn’t hit it too hard.

“There, you go, now crack it over the bowl.” He had to fish out a few shell pieces but she got it in there so he wasn’t gonna complain. He had her do a few more before all the eggs were floating the bowl together. “Next we have to mix them up before pouring it into the batter. What do you say, kid?” Eren bounced Nic in his lap. “You wanna do that?”

Nicolas probably didn’t know really what was going on but he nodded. Eren sat him up on the counter on one of the clean spots so he could actually reach the bowl. He grabbed onto the spoon Eren held out and with his help, Nic stirred the eggs till they were all blended together. Eren had Iz pour them and the butter once it was cooled into the mix.

“Wanna grab the milk?” Eren said keeping his hand on Nic’s legs so he didn’t lose his balance and fall.

“Okay!” Isabelle scurried off the stool and pulled out the gallon of milk from the fridge. Eren grabbed it from her so she could get back up in her seat.

“Grab one the one cup measuring cup, and hold it steady for me, please.” Eren really didn’t need the whole gallon of milk on the kitchen floor and a crying six year old first thing in the morning.

She did as she was asked till all the milk was poured in the batter. “Chocolate chips?”

“You bet it’s time for the chocolate chips.” Eren grabbed the bag and ripped it open. “Why don’t you and Nic pour it in together? Just dump a whole bunch of them in.”

Iz held the bag up so Nic could reach it too as the chocolate chips went in the batter and a few probably in Isabelle’s mouth. Eren pulled the bowl into his lap when they were done and grabbed the mixing spoon; it would probably be a little thick for her to get through. Once it was stirred up he dipped his finger in it to make sure everything went in okay.

“Mmm,” he hummed. “Go head, I know that look.”

Isabelle dipped her finger in the batter before putting it right in her mouth. “Mmm, Mama’s gonna love it.”

“That she will.” Eren held the bowl up a little bit so Nic could taste it too. Granted the boy stuck more or less his whole hand in as opposed to a finger. “Alright.” Eren had to stifle a yawn himself that time. “Let’s get these cooking. Izzy, why don’t you get the placemats and silverware and set the table, please.”

“Kay!” she said, jumping off the stool and going to gather things from the drawers she could reach.

Eren lifted Nic back up into arms in case he got bored and wanted to try and get off the counter by himself. Granted that did mean a stick hand full of batter when right into his shirt. Eren grabbed a larger frying pan from a cabinet and flipped on the stove. Using some of the butter he left out he made sure the pan was fully covered in it before reaching for the spoon. “Wanna make some pancakes, Nic?”

“Yeah,” he said reaching for the spoon in Eren’s hand. He carefully handed it to him and leaning him just a bit over the stove, but only so he could reach the frying pan. The blob of batter dropped and Nic made an excited noise. He hand it back to Eren who scooped some more for Nic to put in the pan. Once the frying pan was full, Eren reached up to grab for plates from overhead and passed them to Iz one at a time while flipping the pancakes when they were ready.

They continued the routine, Iz and Nic taking turns to make the pancakes and Eren flipping them when they were ready, until the batter was all done and there was a stack of misshapen pancakes on a platter. “There we go, all done,” Eren said, reaching down to ruffle Iz’s hair and pressing a kiss to Nic’s head. “Good job, guys. She’s gonna love it. Why don’t you go clean up, get your cards and presents and I’ll go get Mom, okay?”

Isabelle nodded, holding her hand out for Nic when Eren put him down. Eren made sure the stove was off before looking around the kitchen. He’d have to cover Mikasa’s eyes to walk her into the dining room. Ah, well, it’d be worth it. He headed up the stairs and down the hall to his bedroom.

Mikasa was awake when he opened the door, her eyes glancing up from her spot curled up towards his side of the bed. “I don’t know how you do it,” she said. “I mean, while comfortable, it’s so boring just laying here.”

“Well,” he said, laying down next to her and pulling her into his arms. “Always better when you have some company.”

She sighed and rested her head on his chest. “What’s all over your clothes?”

“Guess you’ll just have to find out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’ll ruin the surprise the kids worked so hard on this morning.” He gave her a grin before kissing the top of her head.

“Are you really playing that card with me?”

“Yepp, c’mon, you’ll see it in a sec.” Eren rubbed her back before sitting up, taking her with him. There was probably nothing more he’d rather do than lay around in bed with his wife all day but leaving a two year old and a six year old with a plate of pancakes probably wasn’t his grandest idea.

Mikasa chuckled but she got up, still wearing one of his shirts and some shorts. “Should I get changed?”

“God, no, never change.” He pulled her backwards into him, pressing kisses into her neck that made her laugh.

“Okay, okay,” she said, turning her head back towards him. “If we don’t leave now we never will.”

“That’s tempting.”

She swatted at his shoulder before leaning in to kiss him. “C’mon, now I want to see the surprise.”

“Alright.” He gestured for her to lead the way out and down the hall. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Eren put his hands over her eyes.

“Eren,” she laughed. “Is this really necessary?”

“Yeah, you might not want to see the kitchen right now.” He could almost feel her roll her eyes under his hands but he knew she had that smile on her face. Eren carefully led her past the mess of their kitchen and into the dining room. Nic an Iz were already there, cards and presents by the head the table and it looked like she grabbed the maple syrup and butter all by herself too.

Eren removed his hands from Mikasa’s eyes so she could see the room. She had her hand over her mouth as she looked at the table obviously not expecting quite that much.

“Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy,” Isabelle said running over to hug Mikasa.

Mikasa picked her up when she did, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

Nicolas was close behind, grabbing a hold of Mikasa’s leg. “Hap Mother’s Day,” was about all he got out but the sentiment was still there.

She leaned down to ruffle his hair. “Thank you too, buddy.”

Isabelle squirmed out of Mikasa’s arms and ran back over to the table with Nic following behind. “Daddy said these were your favorite pancakes so we made them for you!”

Mikasa leaned back against Eren who wrapped his arms around her waist, propping his chin on her shoulder. “You remembered.”

“Always.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Sometimes getting up early is worth it. Happy Mother’s Day.”


	15. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated M for sexual situations and language.

_**Anonymous:**  I had an idea for a fic/request: "The kids are gone for the night, I have some sexy lingerie, let's have some hot sex._

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It was a long Friday. All Eren really wanted to do once he opened the front door of his house was go upstairs and go to bed. It was already late so he figured his kids were in bed, sound asleep. He walked up the familiar front steps and used the front light Mikasa left on to find his key. He pushed the door open to step in the quiet house. As carefully as he could he shut the door behind him, flipped the lock, and hung up his keys.

No small children ran at him meaning they both were indeed asleep upstairs. The kitchen light was on, a sign that Mikasa was up waiting for him. He walked through the hallway, slipping off his bag to dump it on the kitchen counter.

“Hey, babe,” he yawned, turning to face the couch where he assumed Mikasa was. The actual sight nearly made him choke.

There was Mikasa alright. But she wasn’t being bundled up on the couch in his clothing like he assumed. His beloved wife was leaning up against the back of the couch wearing this red lingerie he had never seen before, looking as gorgeous as she always did.

He stared at her. “I fell asleep in my car again didn’t I?”

“No,” she laughed. “You didn’t.”

“I’m pretty sure I did.”

“Eren.” She had that smile on her face, the one that made his heart stop. “Will you just come here?”

Like he had to be told twice. He closed the short distance between them, wrapping his arms around her bare waist. By the time Mikasa reached her hands to the back of his neck he was already leaning down to kiss her and pull her against him, causing a gasp to fall from her lips.

“Jesus,” he breathed, trailing his lips against her jaw and down to her neck. “There’s a high possibility I won’t be able to stop if we keep going like this.”

“Then don’t,” she said, fingers playing with the hair on his neck, hips pressing into his.

His eyes fluttered shut, hands grasping down on her waist. “What about the kids?”

“They’re not here.”

He opened his eyes again to see an amused look on her face. “What?”

“They went to your mom’s for the night,” Mikasa said. “Did you really think I’d be wearing this if they were here? That’s not a conversation any one of us wants to have.”

Eren nearly slammed his lips into hers, practically sending them over onto the couch. He ran his hands down her lower back, grabbing at her ass to lift her off the ground. He groaned when she pressed into his already growing arousal as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Ready to go upstairs then?” she breathed.

“That’s way too far away.” Exhaustion long forgotten, he carried her the short distance to the couch, where he carefully laid her down before pulling himself over her. By the time she rolled her hips up against his, he was already kissing all the sensitive skin of her neck he could reach, hands gripping at her waist.

Sure they had two small children but this wasn’t too rare of an occasion; they had their ways which usually involved quick and quiet fucking behind closed doors. It was nice to not wonder which small pair of feet was about to walk in.

Mikasa was already pulling at the bottom of his work shirt, which he reached down to help pull it off. Eren sighed against her when he felt her warm skin brushing up on his. He pushed himself up to run his hand over the red lace of her covered breast. “When did you even get this?” he asked, loving the look in her eyes as he touched her.

“I’ve always had this,” she said.

“Liar.” Eren leaned back down to trail his lips over her collarbone to the lace fabric that covered her.

She hit him in the shoulder but it lacked any force and quickly turned to grab at him when he nudged the bra down some, pressing his lips to her already sensitive skin. “Sasha made me go shopping with her.”

“That sounds more like it.” He reached a hand around her back, effortlessly popping the hooks of her bra after years of practice.

She shrugged it off, grabbing his face, and pulling him down to kiss her. He still felt goose bumps on his skin when his bare chest brushed up against hers. Eren was already kissing back down her chest, hand trying to hold her hips so he could actually focus on what he was doing.

“I just thought it could be…” She trailed off to swallow when he reached a hand to brush over her breast. “Fun.”

Her soft skin was in his mouth, gently teasing with his teeth but he paused to look up at her, his beautiful wife who was watching him with half lidded eyes. “Baby, you could wear a bag and it would still be fun.”

“Shut up,” she laughed, her smile breathtaking.

“Oh, you want me to shut up then?” His hands grabbed at her hips, as he moved his face close to hers again.

“Stop it,” she said, her voice still bright with amusement.

He leaned in to kiss her, rolling his hips into hers, nearly losing it when he felt her obvious arousal. Her laughter quickly melted into a moan, only further fueling the heat in the pit of her stomach.

“Eren,” she groaned, fidgeting underneath him. “It’s been a long day.”

“Is that your way of telling me to stop teasing you?” He was breathless. His work pants were thin, and he could feel her like there was practically nothing there. He groaned against her at the thought.

“If you know what’s good for you.”

He snorted but it turned into a gasp when she slid her fingers below his waistband. “Thankfully I do.” Eren pushed his pants down, kicking them off with his boxers and socks, leaving them in a pile off to the side of the couch. Mikasa reached her hands up to run over him, sending a shudder though his body. He pulled at her red panties so she could toss them off.

They were married for six years, been together for thirteen, and known each other for God only knew but he never got tired of seeing her. She was everything.

“Stop staring,” she murmured, a small smile on her lips.

“Nah,” he swallowed, arousal throbbing as he leaned rested himself between her legs.

“Ow, wait, wait,” she hissed causing him to push himself up on his hands above her. Mikasa reached behind her back and pulled out some plastic horse, hair messily braided by Isabelle. Mikasa rolled her eyes and tossed it into the living room. Once the treat was removed, she brought her arms up around his neck, pulling him back down onto her. He groaned into her neck as she hooked one of her legs over his lower back, giving him room to push into her.

Mikasa’s fingers were in his hair, his name on her lips as he moved against her. Eren wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him, hot breath against her neck.

“Fuck,” he moaned.

It really had been a long day. They were always worth it when he came home though, especially when he didn’t have to leave first thing in the morning and he could just relax with his family…and well, sometimes more than just relax. Heat swirled in his stomach, tension growing the more she tugged at his hair, her hips hitting up into his. His hands tightened against her.

“Jesus, Mik.” He put more weight into his motions. These were the nights he wanted to go forever but she had a way of making him come undone at the seams so effortlessly. He nipped at the skin on her neck, causing shivers that even he felt.

“Eren,” she breathed, back arching up into him.

“I hear ya.” He pushed himself up to kiss her, shifting his hips in the way he knew she liked it.

Mikasa gasped, hands tight in his hair, hips sporadically moving.

“Fuck, babe, I can’t,” he groaned.

“God, Eren,” she gasped, her body tensing up all around him.

He felt her fall undone and he couldn’t hold on any longer. Her name was still on his lips while he rode out the waves of pleasure that rushed through his body, the ones that only Mikasa brought him.

She breathed when he looked up to her with hazy eyes and reached her hands to his face. She gently brought him down to kiss her.

“So I think my mom needs to take them for more overnights,” he murmured.

Mikasa snorted, tapping him on the shoulders prompting him to pull himself out and roll over onto his side. “Yeah, just ask her with the preface of ‘Ma, I just need to get laid’.” Mikasa rolled over so she was facing him, draping an arm around his waist as she curled into him.

“She probably wouldn’t be very surprised.” Eren reached behind him to the blanket on the back of the couch, draping it over them.

“Probably not,” Mikasa yawned.

He placed his arm around her back, resting his head on hers, and eyes fluttering shut. “It’s been a while since this couch saw any action aside from food spills and vomit.”

“I’m sure it appreciates the favor.”

“The bathrooms and pantry through.” He let out a low whistle that made her laugh and hit him in the back lightly.

“Stop it.”

“Remember Iz’s fourth birthday party?”

“Oh my God, Eren,” Mikasa laughed. “Yes, very clearly.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He loved his kids with all his heart, but the times he got Mikasa all to himself reminded him of all the reasons why he married his best friend.


	16. Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated T for language

_**Anonymous:**  request: Modern AU where Eren's and Mikasa's kid gets in trouble for innocently using a nickname her mom gave her dad (asshole) at school and getting in trouble for it and so Mikasa gets called into the office and when the principle explains what happened Mikasa dies inside and when they go home Eren just finds it so hilarious he pisses himself_

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These were the days Mikasa just wanted to call Eren at work and tell him he was the one who had to go deal with his daughter. Of course, Mikasa knew it was far easier for her to leave work than him, but that didn’t mean she was exactly thrilled to have a call from the principal’s office again. Isabelle wasn’t a bad kid by any means; she just didn’t have much of a filter even by seven year old standards. She also had a hard time focusing on any tasks at hand, including listening to the teachers which normally ended up with her getting herself into trouble. She was her father’s daughter in almost every sense of the word.

Mikasa parked her car in the familiar elementary school parking lot. It was still pretty empty since there was still about an hour of school left for the day. She rubbed a hand over her forehead before stepping out into the warm spring air. The receptionist who called Mikasa at work didn’t say what this was for so she could only imagine what kinda trouble Isabelle got into this time. Well, Mikasa had a general idea knowing her daughter but as Mikasa pulled open the front doors to the school, she figured she’d find out soon enough.

She only needed to walk into the empty school halls a little bit before she walked into the front office. The receptionist was sitting at the desk and speaking on the phone but she did give Mikasa a wave as she walked in. Isabelle was sitting in a chair by herself by the principal’s office, her eyes on the ground and fingers playing with the hem of her dress. She didn’t even look up when Mikasa walked over, leaning over to the second grader’s level.

Yeah, Isabelle knew she was in trouble alright.

“Anything you wanna tell me before we go in?” Mikasa asked.

Isabelle shook her head, her braided pig tails flopping around on her head; though this time she did chance a look up to Mikasa.

“Mrs. Jaeger, glad to see you made it okay.”

She stood up to turn and face Isabelle’s principal, a man Mikasa found herself meeting far too many times for one child. Granted, Eren was her father after all. “Of course,” she said, gesturing for Isabelle to get up.

She did though her shoulders sagged significantly as she followed Mikasa into the small office. Isabelle took the seat that was way too big for her next to Mikasa, while Principal Kirch sat down at his desk.

“I’m sorry to have to call you away from work,” he said, resting his hands on the table.

“It’s fine,” Mikasa sighed. “What happened?”

“Well,” Principal Kirch started, looking over to Isabelle and then back to Mikasa. “We had a bit of a language issue today.”

Mikasa nearly groaned aloud. She was going to kill Eren. “What did she say?”

“Her teacher was playing a little game with the kids,” Principal Kirch explained. “Where she’d give them a lifesaver candy and have the kids close their eyes and then call out what flavor it was. Just a fun little game, you know? Well, when they got to the honey flavor the kids seemed to be having trouble guessing  so Miss Carolina gave a hint by saying it might be something your mom would call your dad.”

Mikasa’s stomach sank. Oh no.

“Isabelle answered with ‘asshole’.”

Mikasa was pretty sure even she couldn’t hide her cringe. Oh God. When could’ve Isabelle possibly heard that? Mikasa liked to think she did a pretty good job making sure nothing slipped past her lips in front of her kids, especially the variety of names she may or may not call her husband.

“Oh, well then.” Was about all Mikasa could actually say.

“I think we all understand it’s hard to keep children from hearing everything,” Principal Kirch said. “Especially in an argument.”

Mikasa felt herself bristle at some guy assuming that her and Eren fought. Well, they did on occasion; the both of them could be hard headed and stubborn sometimes but it wasn’t anyone’s place to assume they did. “We weren’t fighting,” she blurted without much thought.

Principle Kirch arched his eyebrows. Jesus, she should’ve just kept her mouth shut; now he was probably assuming the complete opposite of fighting. Which he wouldn’t necessarily be wrong, but Mikasa had a feeling saying that would push her farther into the hole she started digging herself in.

“I mean that I’ve known my husband since we were Isabelle’s age, and sometimes old habits die hard. He can be as Isabelle heard, an asshole, and on occasion I’ll tell him that. It’s, um, a term of affection.” That sounded absolutely horrible. Here she was defending the fact her daughter heard her cussing at Eren, regardless of the scenario which there could’ve been a few. God, now she felt like she was the one who got called into the principal’s office.

“Regardless of how you may use it,” Principal Kirch said. “It’s probably best that Isabelle knows she shouldn’t repeat it.”

“She knows. We don’t make an active habit of swearing in front of our kids.” Okay, that was almost true. Eren had a bad habit of letting things slip from his mouth when he shouldn’t.  Oh God, thankfully asshole was the only thing she said and nothing else Isabelle might’ve heard when her and Eren were…not fighting.

“No need to get defensive, Mrs. Jaeger.”

Great, now she was the defensive one in addition to the one who calls her husband an ass in front of her kids.

“I only called you here so that you would be aware of what happened and to make sure Isabelle knew why it was wrong to shout it out in the middle of her class.”

“Of course,” Mikasa said, reaching up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. “She’ll be talked to. Is that all?”

“Isabelle won’t be punished this time,” Principal Kirch said, folding his hands down on his desk. “Should it happen again we’ll have to have an in school punishment. Parents probably wouldn’t be too happy if their kids went home with these kind of new words they learned in the class room.”

“I understand. May I take her home?” Mikasa asked, mainly because she just wanted to get out of this situation as quickly as she could.

“Yes, that’s fine,” he nodded.

“C’mon then,” Mikasa said as she should up, gesturing for Isabelle to follow. There were a few other things Mikasa wanted to say, like for him to stop judging her about what goes on in her home or that really her husband deserved it or that they know how to keep it quiet. She instead took Isabelle’s hand and walked out of the room. God, like Mikasa needed to sound paranoid on top of everything. Thankfully the receptionist was busy and Mikasa could just walk Isabelle right back out to the car. Mikasa didn’t want to have to talk to anyone else today.

She nearly groaned when she sat down in the driver’s seat realizing she’d have to tell Eren. He was never going to let her forget this. Ever. Really she wanted to hit her head against the steering wheel in humiliation over this whole stupid situation but Isabelle had to know what she did was wrong and not the fact it was her mother’s fault for not paying attention to what was said in front of who. Maybe he would stay later at work today and be so tired he’d forget to ask her if anything happened.

So she backed the car out of the parking lot and started the drive home in complete silence. Isabelle must’ve known she was in trouble because all she did was stare down at the ground probably waiting for Mikasa to be upset.

“You know what you said was bad, right?” Mikasa said. She tried to keep her voice firm, though a part of her felt guilty for it. Kids repeated what their parents said and did which is why she was always on Eren’s case to watch his language. She should’ve listened to her own warnings.

“It didn’t sound bad when you say it,” Isabelle said, her voice quiet.

Say? As in plural? How many times had Isabelle heard Mikasa call Eren that? Was she raising ninjas?

“It doesn’t matter, it’s not appropriate for you to say; especially in the middle of class.”

“Then how come you say it to Daddy? Isn’t that mean to him?”

Why couldn’t she just say “Okay, Mama,” and leave it that? Was that too much to ask for?

Mikasa turned the corner into their neighborhood. “It’s different. He knows I’m not being serious but he probably wouldn’t be very happy if someone else called him that name.”

“So you can say it if you aren’t being serious?”

“No,” Mikasa said. “You can’t say it ever. It’s not appropriate for you to use that sort of language.”

“But-”

“No buts about it, Isabelle.”

She made some kinda frustrated noise but didn’t press the topic any further thankfully. Mikasa had enough of defending why she could cuss but her seven year old couldn’t. Granted, Mikasa understood the “if my mom does it why can’t I?” mentality; which is why she didn’t swear in front of her kids, well, when she knew they were there apparently.

Mikasa’s sigh of relief when she saw her house quickly turned to a sigh of grief. Eren’s car was already in the garage. Of course, the only time she’d ever want him to come home just a little bit late he was home early. Add that with the fact Isabelle was out of the car the moment Mikasa parked it, and there was absolutely no avoiding this and the inevitable look on Eren’s face when she had to tell him what happened.

She stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind her before she made the walk to the house. Isabelle left the door wide open, shoes and backpack dumped by the stairs. Mikasa closed the screen door, letting the fresh air into the house and possibly an easier escape route if she needed it.

“You’re home early!” Carla exclaimed from the kitchen. “Your mom didn’t mention an early release this morning.”

“Did you walk back from the bus stop alone?” Eren asked, also in the kitchen.

Figures, Mikasa thought as she walked down the hallway that lead to the back of the house. She’d have to listen to Eren  _and_  her mother-in-law for all eternity now.

“I picked her up,” Mikasa said, kicking off her shoes by the door that led to the garage.

Eren leaned his back so he could see her still in the hallway, his forehead furrowed. “Is everything okay?”

Not too tired to ask questions either. This was getting better by the moment. Mikasa walked into the kitchen where Carla was cleaning or preparing something on the counter and Eren was sitting on one of the stools opposite the counter, Isabelle facing him in his lap.

“Iz, why don’t you go up to your room for a little bit,” Mikasa said.

Isabelle looked up to Eren, giving him those big eyes she knew how to work. He must’ve been too curious though because he picked her up and placed her feet back on the floor.

“Why don’t you listen to your mom? I don’t have to go back to work, I’ll still be here. Just keep it quiet, your brother is still sleeping.”

Isabelle nodded but there were those droopy shoulders and slumped back as she slowly made her way to the staircase.

Mikasa rubbed her hands over her eyes; when she opened her eyes again both Eren and Carla were watching her. “The principal called me in today for, you know, Isabelle.”

Carla sighed and went back to cutting up whatever she was cooking. “Don’t they have better things to do than keep punishing that little girl? It’s not her fault her classes are boring.”

“No, it wasn’t that this time. It was for a…” Mikasa paused. “Language issue. She said ‘asshole’ in the middle of her class.”

The look on Eren’s face was actually relieving. He got that look in his eyes when he knew he was in trouble, probably because he assumed he was the culprit since despite the fact they had kids for seven years he still had a bad habit of not controlling his words. He already knew it was his fault and was ready to take the fall for it, in fact she could almost hear the apologies that were soon to follow.

How wrong of it was to let your husband take the fall for something you did?

“Relax, Eren, it wasn’t you,” she said.

“How could you possibly know?” Carla snorted.

“Oh, thanks, Ma, I really appreciate it,” he said rolling his eyes though he didn’t even look like he believed Mikasa.

“I’m just saying, I had to go to the same principal’s office for the same thing for you more than once. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she heard you again.”

“She didn’t hear him, well, this time at least,” Mikasa said, crossing her arms against her chest. The both of them were looking at her again, waiting for an explanation. She was going to regret everything about this. “I was told they were playing a game with tasting lifesavers but got stuck on the honey flavored one. Isabelle’s teacher gave the hint your mother might call your father this and Isabelle answered…”

Carla had her hand over her mouth but she couldn’t hide her snort of laughter. “Asshole.”

Mikasa felt heat rising up to her cheeks when she saw Eren’s absolutely gleeful face. God, he looked like Christmas had come early. She was going to hit him if he came anywhere near her. “Shut up, don’t even say it.”

“Say what, Mik?” he grinned; she was gonna kill him. “That you were the one who got called to the principal’s office cause your daughter only repeated what you said to me?”

She looked over to Carla for support but that was useless, she was still trying not to die of laughter. Some family Mikasa had.

“Not to mention…” Eren continued, standing up from his seat. “She heard you enough times to think that was the appropriate answer. God, I never thought I’d see the day when it wasn’t me teaching the kids things I shouldn’t be.”

“You better knock it off or you won’t see another day.” She knew her threats were weak when he was only standing a few feet from her, everything about him looking inviting. Well, save for the fact he was practically gloating.

“Oh no, I need to take this in.” He laughed, he actually laughed. If he thought he was sleeping anywhere but the couch tonight he was gravely mistaken. “What did you tell Isabelle?” he asked, walking closer to Mikasa. “That it was okay cause you’ve always called me that? Or was because her father actually is an asshole? I’m wondering which one would go over the best with a seven year old who wants to do everything her mom does.”

“Eren, don’t you dare touch me.”

He ignored her, which was in all honestly fine, she didn’t actually  _mean_ what she said but she wasn’t gonna give him that satisfaction. Granted, that was admittedly harder when his hands were on her hips pulling her closer to him. She was torn between burying her face in his chest and punching him.

“Well,” he said, tilting his head towards her just a bit. “I guess it’s better to hear that some of the names you call me.”

“Okay,” Carla said, walking past them to the hallway. “When I start to hear things I don’t need to know, that’s my cue to check on Nicolas.”

“Eren.” Mikasa hit her hands against his chest, though rather lightly, and looked up to meet those eyes she loved. A smile pulled at her lips at the way he was looking at her; that teasing grin, his bright eyes. God, she loved him. “You’re a fucking asshole.”

“Oh, I know,” he snorted, leaning into to kiss her.

If she had anything else to say, it really didn’t matter anymore. Even after all these years she still couldn’t do anything but melt into him. In this case, maybe this whole thing wasn’t  _that_ bad.


	17. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M (Strong Language and Light Sexual Situations/Implied Sexual Situations)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYYY None of these are new so I apologize for that but I suddenly got the urge to keep editing through my tumblr posts like years later? But hey maybe some of you guys missed them or theres new fandom fam who never saw my massive amount of fanfic before lmao 
> 
> Another one I’ve been wanting to write for a long time. Let’s be real, Eren and Mikasa would still fight and bicker even as a married couple who’ve been together for years and years. He’s got a temper and she’s stubborn, they’d argue lol And they’d be used to how each other argues and know how they operate to calm down from it but it’s different arguing in an empty home then when it is with little ears listening in who don’t understand.

Mikasa was always a morning person. She could wake up at the crack of dawn and be fine after a cup of coffee but over the years she began to favor the nights the most. She didn’t have anything to do (most of the time), the kids were in bed, and Eren was home. She could just lay back on the couch against him, his arms tight around her waist as he told her about all the crazy stuff he saw that day.

“God, I need a day off,” he sighed, leaning his head back against the armrest of the couch.

Mikasa hummed, tilting her head back on his chest to look back at him. Just because he had been doing it for so long didn’t exactly make it any easier or less exhausting. “Good thing you have tomorrow off then.”

“Yeah, I wish,” he snorted, his eyes fluttering shut.

In a quick instant, panic started to climb up her throat. “You did take tomorrow off didn’t you?”

“No.” He cracked an eye open at her. “Why would I?”

“Eren.” She sat up on the couch and turned to face him. His forehead was furrowed as he followed her, completely oblivious. “Tomorrow morning is Izzy’s soccer championship. You promised her you’d be there.”

He blinked at Mikasa before his own panic started to show in his face. “Why didn’t you tell me it was this weekend?” His voice was already rising since his panic and temper went hand in hand.

She felt the familiar twinge of annoyance in the pit of her stomach. She loved him more than anything in this world, but did he know how to push her buttons. “I did, weeks ago, and again last week plus it’s been on the calendar for at least a month now.”

Eren rubbed his hands over his face before standing up to his feet. He turned his back to her, one hand running through his hair. Maybe he’d calm himself down and just figure out a way to get someone to cover for him in the morning, it’s not like he didn’t do it for people almost every single week.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do now, huh?” he said, turning back to face her. “Huh? What the fuck am I supposed to tell her?”

“Eren,” she warned. “Just ask someone to cover for you.”

“No, Mikasa, it’s not about that. It’s once again I have to be the bad guy and let our children down because I’m the one who has to provide for this family.”

Her jaw clenched, hands tightening in her lap. “That’s not fair. This is what we always agreed on. How many times have you told me it was okay if I didn’t go back to work, that you had it handled just fine? It’s not fair to throw that back at me.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t have to constantly break their hearts cause you can’t actually be there for anything, or because you’re too exhausted to even play with them when you have a moment to breathe.”

“Do you think it’s easy? Do you really think it’s that simple?” She stood to her feet, taking a few steps towards him, arms reaching up to cross her chest. God, she loved him, but he just didn’t think sometimes. “Do you think I enjoy having to do these things without you? Do you think it’s easy to try and explain to a six year old who can’t understand why her daddy can’t come to any of her games because he has to make sure we have food, and light, and heat? To explain to a four year old why you have to sleep so long on the days you do have off and can’t play with him? Do you think I like that other parents of her teammates have asked me how long I’ve been a single mom because they’ve never even seen my husband? Because I can absolutely assure you it’s not.”

She felt the harsh sting of tears in the corner of her eyes. It was always what they agreed on. It always was gonna be hard but it was what they had to do.  

“And you think that I have a grand old time trying not to let people die under my care instead of being with you? Instead of being with our kids? That I just absolutely love getting pictures of all the things I’m missing, all the places I’d love to be but I can’t because my responsibilities have me locked up in a fucking hospital building sometimes for more hours at a time than are in a day?”

“Hey,” she snapped. “Watch it.”

“Well, big surprise, I don’t,” he continued though his voice did drop an octave quieter but not with any less bite. “So, yeah, I’m pissed off that once again I have to miss something I wanted to be there for, and let my daughter down yet again. I’m tired of breaking promises to the people who depend on me, Mikasa.”

“Yeah, Eren, I get that, but you knew about it.” Irritation was making her heart pound, her head swimming in clouded anger. He always did this, pushed everything on everyone else. He was too stubborn to just say, hey, you know what I made a mistake let me fix it. He had to blow up and blame it on everyone else first and it was more than a little annoying when he was sixteen, let alone in his early thirties.  “I told you and don’t try and say I didn’t. You’re a grown man, if it was priority you would’ve done it.”

Her breath hitched. She regretted the words the moment they fell from her lips. She watched his eyes, his jaw clench, hands fisted at his sides. She didn’t mean that. From day one his priority was her and their family, it’s why he did everything he did. She was annoyed with him for acting like such a child right now but she’d never mean that. “Eren, I didn’t-”

“No, you know what? Yeah, okay, I forgot. Sometimes I walk into hell when I walk into work and things slip my mind, and yeah, I’m fucking  pissed   that once again I have to go tell my daughter that I don’t know if I can be there for her when really, that’s my job, not a doctor but a father.”

“I know, I’m just frustrated, Eren. None of this is easy on me either. I know it’s hard that you have to let them down for reasons of life that they don’t understand but I’m the one who has to still be there and still support them and act like everything is okay when the one person I want by my side, my best friend, can’t ever be there.” She choked back the lump in her throat; this time less angry and more just sad.

It was what the agreed on, it was what was best, but Mikasa missed him every second of every day he was gone. She used to see him almost all hours every day and then suddenly, he couldn’t because he had to take care of them. It was hard, it was so hard.

“I can’t do this right now,” he said, his voice nearly flat and she knew what was coming.

“Eren, don’t-” She tried, even though she knew it was pointless.

He was already starting to back away from her. “I just need some air.”

“Where’re you going?” she sighed, watching him walk to the hallway that would lead him to the front door.

“I dunno.” He answered without even looking at her, but when she heard the front door slam she knew he was gone.

It wasn’t unusual really. Whenever Eren got angry at anything he needed to just step away after a point and cool down; that didn’t mean she enjoyed being left alone after a fight. She sat back down on the couch, putting her face in her hands and already feeling the tears pooling in her eyes. Mikasa hated fighting with him, she always did. She hated how it made him feel, she hated how it made her feel. He was always the first one to want to make up because once he calmed down he couldn’t stand being mad at her, or her being mad at him but getting to that point was always hard.

She heard a small cry and instantly pulled her head from her hands. That wasn’t her. Mikasa stood to her feet and walked over to the hallway where the stairs where. She was going to go upstairs to make sure Isabelle and Nicolas were okay but she didn’t have to go that far; both her children were sitting on the top of the steps, eyes watery and wide.

Her heart sank. They must’ve heard her and Eren fighting.

Nicolas was the first to move, his face scrunching up in tears as he hurried down the steps to Mikasa, who squatted down to catch him in her arms just about the time he dissolved into full blown sobs.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, rubbing his back though she had a feeling she already knew.

“Is Daddy gonna leave us?” he cried into her shoulder.

At first she thought she didn’t hear him correctly. She knew she always got upset when she heard her parents fight, but she never thought one of them would never come back. “Of course he isn’t. Nicolas, why would you think that?”

He didn’t answer in between any of his crying.

Mikasa reached her other hand up to the back of his head trying of offer him any comfort she could.

“Because,” Isabelle said, standing up from the stairs as Mikasa looked up. “Daniel said his parents always fought and then one day his dad left and never came back to live with them.” Isabelle’s voice was strong and sure but she looked like she was about to break into similar tears.

“Daniel? From school?” Mikasa asked.

Isabelle nodded, this time a few tears falling from her eyes. “He said his parents got separated and now he only sees his dad a few times a month.”

Mikasa could almost count down when one of her kids was going to have a melt down and Isabelle’s was coming on strong. This time though instead of it being a temper tantrum, it was just heart wrenching that they’d have to fear Eren one day not being there.

“I don’t want Daddy to leave.” She reached up to rub her eyes but it was too late, the tears and cries were already coming.

“C’mere, Iz,” Mikasa said, opening her other arm to her daughter.

Isabelle fell face first into Mikasa’s other shoulder, her small arms right around Mikasa’s neck.

“I want both of you to listen to me very carefully, okay?”

Isabelle was the only one who nodded, but it was close enough.

“You never have to worry about your father not being there. He adores the both of you, he’d never just up and leave. That’s not who he is.”

“But you were fighting, and then…and then he left,” Isabelle cried.

“Yeah, I know, but it’s not the first time we’ve fought and it probably won’t be the last. It happens sometimes.”

“No,” she shook her head firmly against Mikasa. “People who love each other don’t fight.”

She understood the innocent notion that love didn’t mean anger and raised voices, harsh words but it wasn’t quite a realistic expectation. “Okay, c’mon, we’re gonna have a talk.” She pulled Nicolas up against her chest as she stood up and held a hand out for Isabelle who was back to rubbing her eyes.

Mikasa took the both of them to the couch, the one where she was relaxing on not too long ago. Nicolas wouldn’t relinquish his grip on her even as she leaned back where Eren had been sitting before this mess started. Isabelle climbed on, cuddling up to Mikasa’s legs.

“Okay,” she sighed. At least both kids stopped crying; Nic was whimpering but not full out crying any more. “Fighting doesn’t mean you love anyone less. You two fight with me all the time when you don’t want to do what I say. Do you love me any less?”

“No,” Isabelle said, shaking her head.

“Well, it’s the same thing when me and your dad fight. It doesn’t mean we love each other any less but anger is very real emotion, and when you’re angry sometimes you misplace it and you get emotional, you say things you might regret.” Her throat went a little dry and she had to cough to clear it a little. “You don’t let it rule your life though. You realize where something went wrong, you apologize, and you work through whatever the initial issue was.”

“What if someone doesn’t wanna?” Nic asked. He was always a smart kid.

“That’s where you can have an issue, yes. When someone doesn’t want to work through a situation for any number of reasons then there isn’t much anyone can do to fix it.”

“What if Daddy doesn’t wanna fix it?” Isabelle asked, her eyes dangerously wide again.

“Isabelle Hope,” Mikasa said, leaning forward to poke Iz in the stomach, making her laugh despite herself. “How long have I known your father?”

“A looong time,” Isabelle said.

“Yeah, exactly, a very looong time. I know him better than I know myself. He’s always been a little hot headed like someone else I know.” Mikasa poked Iz again causing more laughter. “And stubborn. Sometimes when people get upset they need to step away and calm down, then they see things differently in a less emotional state. You get it?”

“So Daddy just needed a break?” Nic asked, innocent eyes looking up to Mikasa.

“That’s exactly right.” She pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. “He’ll be back before you even wake up.”

Isabelle was lightly pulling at Mikasa’s pajama pants. “Does he have to apologize?”

“It’s not always that simple, sweetheart. It’s not always one person’s fault. I’ll apologize to him too because I don’t like seeing him upset any more than you do.”

“He doesn’t like seeing you upset either,” Nicolas said, a yawn pulling at his lips.

“I know, and you know what that is?”

“What?”

Mikasa leaned in to rub her nose against his. “That’s love.”

Nicolas laughed which was a much better sound than that of tears.

“Can we stay up till Daddy gets back then?” Isabelle had that hopeful look in her eyes, like she knew Mikasa was gonna say no but the little girl just had to ask anyway.

“Excuse me, don’t you have a super big, important game play in tomorrow? You need to be in bed getting some rest.”

“But we just wanna make sure Daddy’s okay,” Nicolas said and a part of Mikasa wondered how those two learned to play off each other so well.

She couldn’t exactly say no when they were so distressed over it but in reality she wasn’t sure what late hour Eren would come walking back through the door. Sometimes it was short, just a drive around the block and sometimes he ended up at Armin’s for a few hours until Eren relaxed. “For a little bit, but if he doesn’t come back soon you both are in bed, you hear me?”

“Got it,” Isabelle said, reaching her arms around Mikasa’s waist to nuzzle closer in between her and Nic.

Of course, staying up to wait for Dad only lasted about five minutes before each of Mikasa’s children were sound asleep on her. At least they were relaxed now.

She couldn’t get the horrible sinking feeling out of the pit of her stomach that they were so convinced Eren was leaving them. Mikasa knew Eren, and she knew he’d never leave them especially when they had nothing without him but the thought, the horrible thought wouldn’t leave her mind now.

What would she do without him?

The thought alone was enough to feel tears stinging her eyes as she stared up at the white ceiling. She spent almost her whole life with him, it was nearly impossible to think of a time without him, without seeing his warm smile, hearing his laugh, without her name on his lips. Without him for whatever reason would just leave her lost with two children who were so much like him. It wasn’t a life she ever wanted. No matter how long they had been together, she never wanted a day without him.

Mikasa wasn’t sure how long she laid there, one hand on Nic’s back and the other in Iz’s hair but once she started to feel cramps from the uncomfortable position she realized it was probably time to put them to bed. As carefully as she could she slipped out of Isabelle’s grasp and rolled Nic onto the couch where Mikasa had been laying. He quickly curled into Isabelle, neither even batting an eye.

Mikasa stretched her arms over her head, and started to walk to the stairs to make sure everything was set in their rooms before carrying them all the way up there. She didn’t even make it to the first step when she heard the door open.

The light from the kitchen illuminated the hallway, Eren standing there as he closed the door behind him and looking a little lost and disheveled.

He didn’t say anything as he stared at her, and she wasn’t quite sure what to say either. He didn’t look angry anymore, but she just really didn’t want to say something and end up fighting all over again.

She didn’t actually have to say anything though. Before she could move, he was already standing in front of her, his hands on her face as he leaned in to kiss her and effectively take her breath away.

“I’m sorry, Mikasa,” he said, his voice breathless as he looked to meet her eyes again. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said-” She didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence because he kissed her again.

He took a few careful steps until her back was pressed up against the railing of the stairs. “I shouldn’t have said those things,” he murmured, trailing his lips across her jaw. “I was never mad at you.”

Mikasa’s eyes fluttered shut as his hands ran down her sides, grabbing both her thighs, and picking her right off the ground. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist. She knew she should probably stop him before the kids realized she was gone but when his lips met her neck she had a hard time saying anything.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said against her skin, hands grasping down on her, and hips pressing into hers.

When a small groan fell from her lips from his touch she realized it was probably best to tell him, “Eren, Eren,” she said, trying to get his attention and trying to snap out of her own haze. “The kids are quite literally in the next room.”

That did the trick. He lifted his head to look at her before looking over at the kitchen. Mikasa shouldn’t have been too surprised to see two sets of eyes wide awake and watching them.

Eren cleared his throat. “Hey, what’re you runts doing up?” he said in a much lighter voice, and letting go of Mikasa so she could put her feet back on the ground. He also had to squat down pretty fast to catch both Nicolas and Isabelle in his arms. “What?” Eren laughed. “You guys saw me before you went to bed.”

“We were afraid you weren’t gonna come back,” Isabelle sniffed, though she thankfully didn’t look like she was gonna cry again.

“Like Daniel’s daddy,” Nic added even though he barely knew who Daniel was.

“What?” Eren pulled away to give them a look of utter confusion that must’ve been similar to the one Mikasa gave them. “Are you crazy? I’d be the biggest dummy in the world to leave your mom and you two and that I’m not.”

“Do you promise?” Isabelle asked, her eyes so serious she looked almost a splitting image of Eren.

“Sweetheart, that’s I promise I can keep.” He leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead before patting at Nic’s back, signaling to let go. “Why don’t you two get back in bed, I’ll come say good night again, okay?”

“Okay!” they chorused, already heading back up the stairs.

Eren stayed in his spot for a moment before standing up and turning to Mikasa, that same look of confusion on his face. “What was that about?”

Mikasa pressed her hands against his chest, straightening out his shirt before meeting his eyes. “One of the boys in Isabelle class, his parents separated so when they heard us fighting and you leaving they just got scared.”

“They heard us? Shit.” He sighed before reaching up to place his hands over hers. “I’m sorry, Mik. I should’ve have gotten so upset when it was my fault for forgetting, not yours. You already take care of two kids, you don’t need another one who should know what he’s doing.”

“No, it’s fine, Eren. I’m sorry for saying what I did, you know I’d never mean it. I just…” She hesitated and he seemed like it was the perfect time to kiss her again. “I just miss you,” she finished when he pulled away. “All the time.”

“I know, I miss you too, every damn second I’m not where I wanna be. I’ll figure something out, I promise.”

Mikasa nodded. She didn’t really know how, but she knew Eren and she knew he’d try everything.

“You get to bed too,” he said though a smirk was pulling at his lips. “I’ll say goodnight to you too.”

“Oh, will you?”

“Yeah.” He leaned into her so his lips just brushed by hers. “But not for quite a while.”

Who was that person who said never marry your highschool sweetheart? They were full of shit, because when he kissed her, he knew without a doubt how to make her melt.

* * *

 

Despite the bright sun overhead and warm spring weather, Mikasa still felt a yawn pulling at her lips. She was sitting up in the bleachers overlooking the soccer field where both teams of girls were already getting ready to start. Nicolas was coloring happily in his book as he sat between her legs, not caring much about the game until he could recognize his sister.

Even though everyone had a late night, Nic and Iz seemed to be okay; she even got up without any fuss. Eren was already gone when the kids got up much to their dismay, and Mikasa wasn’t sure how to make things worse by telling Izzy he had to work today and on probably less sleep than all of them. If there was something Eren loved to do after they fought it was making up. She wasn’t even sure what time they went to bed, though she really wasn’t about to complain.

The teams came out on the field as the crowd gathered to watch started to cheer.

“Look, Nic, there’s Izzy,” Mikasa said point out onto the field.

“Number…” He squinted. “Ten!”

“That’s right, number ten, so keep a good eye on her.”

“Okay, Mama.”

In all honesty, sitting and watching a kid’s soccer game wasn’t the most entertaining thing in the world. She wasn’t quite as into it as some of the parents were (and some were just way to into it). She was happy that Isabelle enjoyed it and willingly sat through every practice and game to support her daughter, but Mikasa wouldn’t be the one shouting at the ref. Granted, if Eren were here he probably would. No one treated his kids unfairly.

That image alone brought a smile to her lips.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken? I got here a little late and I didn’t really expect, you know, the place to fill up for a six year old’s game.”

Mikasa looked up, the smile on her lips only growing wider. Eren was standing there next to her, no trace of his work uniform for once in his life, and looking just as happy as ever. “I was actually saving it for my husband, but he’s a workaholic so you’re more than welcome to it.”

“Ha ha,” he snorted, sitting down next to her just in time for Nic to dive into Eren’s lap with a joyful laugh. “I promised didn’t I?” Eren winked at her before looking down at Nic, rubbing his sides. “Hey buddy, which one is your sister?”

“Number ten!”

“Okay, ah, there she is, right?” Eren pointed just as Isabelle turned towards them on the field.

She must’ve been checking to see if he was there, and the look on her face nearly made Mikasa cry right there. Isabelle waved frantically with both hands, the biggest smile on her face.

Eren gave her a thumbs up before cupping both his hands around his mouth. “Give ‘em hell, princess!” he shouted out.

“Eren,” Mikasa said, elbowing him in the side but the effect was lost when she couldn’t stop laughing.

He gave her that sloppy grin of his and nothing else mattered. I didn’t matter how, it didn’t matter who he bribed or what he’d have to do to make up for missing work today. It just mattered he was here.

Mikasa learned her head against his shoulder. She should’ve never doubted a promise of his.


	18. Maya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slight Warning: Brief mention of a bit of blood due to complications with pregnancy.

_**Anonymous:**  Prompt? Maybe? If you can and want?: It was a long time ago since you wrote this, but maybe a prompt of Ymir and Historia with their baby. I absolutely love the way you incorporated them within an eremika request._

* * *

Historia couldn’t say she ever found herself to be the maternal type. Her own mother left her as a child, forcing her to live with her grandparents who were never too happy their young daughter had a daughter (and really not so happy that daughter left Historia with them). Eventually she went to live with her dad, but it wasn’t like that was one big happy family either. By the time Historia met Ymir she already didn’t want kids. Why would she when she only ever brought her own family misery? Marrying Ymir only sealed the deal (and made what was left of her family probably hate her more but whatever they weren’t invited).

It wasn’t until Historia had the pleasure of watching Isabelle Jaeger grow from a squirmy baby to an energetic toddler and all the stages good and bad in between. It wasn’t until she saw the love and adoration in Mikasa’s eyes when she watched her daughter that Historia never saw in her own mother’s eyes, the way Eren would drop whatever he was doing if Isabelle wanted him to play with her in a way Historia’s father never did. It wasn’t until she saw how much love a parent could give their child that Historia realized maybe it wasn’t parenthood that was bad, just that she had bad parents.  

She went back and forth on her choice many different times as opposed to Ymir who told Historia if she wanted kids that was fine, if not that was fine too. Would she be a good mom? Would she end up just leaving like her own mother did? Is this really what Historia wanted?

“Mommy?”

Historia looked down from the counter where she was trying to fit a whole bag of chips in a bowl that was probably too small but she was out of bowls now so it had to do.

Maya was standing in the kitchen, her hands holding out the skirt of her pink dress and a big smile on her face. “Do you like my dress?”

“Oh, of course I do,” Historia said gesturing for Maya to spin around which she did, skirt flaring out around her. “You look like a queen.”

“No,” Maya giggled, rushing over to throw her arms around Historia’s legs, head tilting back to look up at her. “I’m the princess, Mama says you’re the queen.”

“Well, I won’t object to that,” Historia said, reaching down to brush some of Maya’s blonde hair back over her head. Historia opened her mouth to say something else but there was a knock at the door. “Wanna take bets on who got here first?”

Maya looked like she was thinking. “Uncle Armin, he’s always on time.”

“Why don’t you go get the door and see?”

Maya nodded and ran off through the living room to get the front door that was left open, another sign it was probably Armin since he always still knocked. Historia went back to trying to finish getting all the food ready while Ymir was in the backyard getting the pool set for the amount of people that would be here today.

“I was right!” Maya called from the other room.

Historia never regretted her choice to have a baby.

“Hello, Armin,” she said, turning to see Maya dragging him in the kitchen by the hand. “You look a little over dressed for a five year old’s birthday party.”

Armin laughed when Maya was satisfied with him being in the kitchen dropping his hand to instead try and reach for the pretzels Historia left on the table with other snack food. “I had to come straight from work. Don’t ask me how they got me to teach a Saturday class in the summer. I want to be there about as much as my students do.”

She placed the bowl of chips near the dip on the table. She hoped it was enough food to tide everyone over until Sasha and Connie got here with all the meat to grill up. “Is Annie still out of town?”

“Yeah, she really wanted to be here but can’t help work sometimes,” Armin said.

“I’m sure the least social person I know is alright with missing one birthday party,” Historia laughed, leaning up against the table and passing a handful of pretzels to Maya who was tugging on Historia’s dress.

“She would’ve came if she was home,” Armin said.

“I know she would’ve. I take it please Ben is with Eren and Mikasa then?”

Armin nodded. “Probably getting into a load of crap with his troublemaker cousins.”

“If anyone could handle trouble it’s Mikasa, oh, well, maybe not so much right now. How’s she feeling? I haven’t talked to them in a few days.”

Armin leaned his elbows up against the island in the center of the kitchen. “She’s fine. I think it’s more or less Eren being the one worrying too much this time. As far as I know the doctor told her as long as she takes it easy for the rest of her pregnancy her and the baby will be just fine.”

“I can’t imagine how terrifying that must’ve been.” Historia had a few different options when she made her choice to have a child and she thought about each one as carefully as she could. Ultimately she decided she wanted to be the one to carry their child, and Ymir didn’t have an issue with it. “Better you than me,” were her exact words if Historia remembered right. Even if not, that sounded like something Ymir would say. So with the knowledge of how it felt both physically and emotionally to carry a child to full term she really couldn’t imagine how must’ve felt for Mikasa or just as bad Eren being the one to wake up and find his pregnant wife bleeding.

“Well, it could’ve been a lot worse. She’s being well taken care of now and when I talked to Eren this morning she was still coming today,” Armin said. “You know how she is.”

“Mama!” Maya ran for the screen door that was opening, clearly bored with the adults conversing and not paying attention to her.

Ymir caught Maya in her arms, hoisting her up to sit up on her stomach, Maya’s legs kicking in excitement. “Isn’t it just the meeting of the blondes in here. Wait…” Ymir counted one tapping on Maya’s head and making her laugh before pointing to Historia and Armin. “Aren’t we missing two blondies?”

“Good to see you too, Ymir,” Armin snorted.

“One is on his way and the other is out of town,” Historia said. “Food’s ready in here. How’s the grill and the pool?”

“Grill is ready for Connie to pretend to grill while Sasha does all the actual work and pool is all set for swimmers of all ages and sizes. Well, save for Bertholdt, he’s too tall for the pool.”

Maya laughed like it was the funniest thing she heard all day. “He is not! Even  _he_  can’t touch in the deep end.”

“Oh yeah? I bet he can. Why don’t you ask him when he gets here?”

“I will!”

Ymir looked like she was going say something else to Maya but Ymir’s eyes drifted up and then down towards the kitchen doorway. “Oh, Historia, we shouldn’t leave the door open anymore all it brings us is trouble.”

Historia looked over to see Isabelle Jaeger’s attempt to give Ymir an angry look but it didn’t work so well when Iz was trying not to smile, her dimples popping up on her cheeks.

“That’s not fair,” she said, holding up a plastic container in her hands. “I have my mom’s cake!”

“Well, in that case, please come in,” Ymir said.

Armin must’ve seen it coming first because he reached down to grab the cake container before Nicolas ran into his sister’s back nearly knocking her over.

“Nicolas!” she cried, catching herself before her hit the ground and turning to give him a glare but he was too busy laughing and looking smug that was every bit his father. It was a wonder that household was ever quiet.

Another little one popped through door running but he was headed straight for his dad’s open arms as opposed to being worried about picking on Isabelle, which would probably come later. Benjamin already had the sharp features of his mom but warm eyes like his dad and despite being around Isabelle and Nicolas more often than not, he was still the most reserved of all the kids. Which knowing his parents wasn’t too surprising really.

“Izzy!” Maya exclaimed kicking her feet to let Ymir know she wanted to get put down. “I wanna show you what I got for my birthday!”

“Okay,” Isabelle said, reaching out for Maya’s hand so she could lead the older girl wherever.

Historia was always rather surprised that even the age gap didn’t keep them from being good friends but then again they were the only girls until the youngest Jaeger was born, even if Sasha had been convinced up until her due date that she was having a girl that didn’t quite happen, so on second thought it made a lot of sense. “Don’t run off quite yet, you two. Where’s your parent’s, Iz?”

“Right there.” Isabelle pointed towards the living room with a roll of her eyes.

“Do you always have to be so dramatic?” Armin laughed when Eren stepped into kitchen, carrying Mikasa in his arms. She looked like she wasn’t sure if she was gonna hit him or laugh, which was pretty common when it came to Eren.

“Hmm? I’m sorry what was that?” Eren said. “I couldn’t hear you over the immense love I have for my family and their wellbeing.”

“I’m gonna throw up,” Ymir snorted as Eren did put Mikasa down on her feet, at her multiple requests. “Which reminds me, I forgot to call Jean to make sure he brought some actual drinks with him. I’m not going spend the day just sipping on Kool-aid.”

“C’mon, Maya,” Isabelle said, walking towards the back yard. “Let’s play.”

“Yeah!” Nicolas said darting for the door, though Isabelle stopped him with her hand.

“You have to wait for Spence to get here.”

“Isabelle, let him play with you,” Mikasa said, pushing Eren’s smug face away from hers when she leaned back up against him for support.

Iz looked like she wanted to do nothing of the sort but she also seemed to know better than to argue with her mom.

It was already getting loud and cluttered in here and everyone wasn’t even here yet. Historia took a small breath as she looked around the kitchen. While this kinda stuff used to stress her out, it was meant to be fun and as long as Maya and everyone had a good time she didn’t care how it went.  “Go on and play, May, okay?” Historia said, leaning down towards her level. “I’ll send your other guests outside when they get here.”

Maya pulled her hand from Isabelle’s and ran back to Historia, throwing her small arms around Historia’s neck. “Thank you, Mommy.”

Historia was pretty sure she could actually feel her heart melting as she hugged Maya back. “Anything for you, sweetheart.”

Maya ran back over to Isabelle who was trying to get through the door before Nicolas, which didn’t work, and chased them both outside into the backyard.

It was strange. Historia knew there was a time in her life when she was adamantly against having children but at the same time, she could never imagine not having little feet in the house with her and Ymir. She couldn’t understand where her parents went wrong, how they couldn’t love something that was so fragile and so special, and who only ever wanted just to be loved because Historia could never imagine not adoring her daughter. They say some people weren’t meant to be parents, and maybe that was true but from what she knew that didn’t include any of her friends. She used to think it included her, but she was wrong.


	19. Papa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this once again came from a discussion with eremikadefensesquad about how should everyone’s kids grow up together, naturally the older ones would probably be close and have crushes on each other or even date at some point, then what if it was Eren’s daughter and Jean’s son. I wrote this just because I really wanted to write something fun and cute and Dad!Eren is my favorite.

Eren knew it was coming. He always did. That’s what happened when you had kids; they grew up and before you knew it they were married and had kids of their own and you were old. Thankfully he hadn’t quite gotten to that point yet but he still didn’t know how time went by so fast. One day Isabelle was a little, tiny baby he carefully carried into the house a few days after she was born then she was thirteen years old, sitting in her tank top and shorts under a tree in Armin’s back yard with Ryan.

The other kids were running around too as Eren stepped out from Armin’s back door and onto the wooden porch that over looked the yard. He could see Nicolas and Spencer playing some game out farther in the yard, Ben trailing behind them wherever they went. Maya and Riley had taken to playing in the pool while Sasha, Connie, and Annie looked on; well, Sasha and Annie looked, Connie snored. Ymir and Historia were also in the water, making sure the younger girls played safely together as well. Everyone else he already passed in the house, save for the beautiful lady that was leaning up against the porch railing watching over the kids in the yard.

Knowing that if he went to say hi to his smallest and very wet child he’d get his clothes soaked right after he changed into them, he opted to say hi to his wife first. Eren wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, nuzzling his face into hers and making Mikasa laugh. She placed her hands over his and looked over so he could kiss her. Okay, he didn’t actually know that’s what she was doing but he was gonna kiss her anyway.

“How was work?” she asked when he went to rest his chin on her shoulder.

“Pretty slow for summer break,” he shrugged. “Everyone doing okay here?”

Mikasa nodded. “Riley hasn’t left the pool in at least an hour, Nic is leading the other boys into war, and Iz has been hanging around Ryan the whole time.”

“Huh,” Eren said, clicking his tongue lightly. “Well, they always got along so that’s not too surprising.”

“Eren,” Mikasa said, giving him an incredulous look he didn’t quite understand why he deserved. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“What? They have. I mean, she finally had someone her own age when Jean and Marco adopted Ryan. Why wouldn’t they?”

Mikasa laughed, turning in his arms to face him enough so she could place a hand on his face. “Babe, your little girl has her first crush. How can you not see that?”

Eren blinked at her, before looking over to Isabelle then back to Mikasa again. “What? No, she doesn’t. She’s just a kid.”

Mikasa arched an eyebrow at him. “She’s thirteen years old. She’s technically a teenager. I’m pretty sure she’s actually a little late to the game on crushes.”

“No, Mik, you’re being ridiculous.” That was crazy. Isabelle was still just a baby; she didn’t know what a crush even was.

She dropped her hand to his chest, a smile twitching at her lips. “Ryan came up to ask if Isabelle wanted to hang out with him and she blushed. Have you ever known that girl to blush before?”

Eren felt his stomach sink a little. “Well, no, but she could’ve been feeling shy.”

“And what reasons would a person make you shy? Or nervous that you blush?”

“When you don’t wanna hang out with someone but you feel like you have to.” Okay, that was a stretch and by the look in Mikasa’s eyes she felt the same way.

“She hasn’t left his side the whole time, nor has she stopped laughing and smiling. Face it, Eren.” She patted his chest. “Isabelle has a crush on Ryan.”

Eren went to swallow but his throat went dry. He looked up to Iz who was still sitting next to Ryan, her eyes bright as he told her about God knows what, but she was hanging on every single word. There was a red tint to her face, her fingers nervously fidgeting with her shorts, her hair, her shoes, the grass, anything really.

Shit.

“Okay, so which one of us is gonna stop it?” Eren said. It wasn’t right; Isabelle was too young for any of this.

“Don’t you even start,” Mikasa said. “Leave them alone.”

“C’mon, Mik, that’s Jean’s kid. God, could you imagine him if we were stuck with him as in laws?”

“Oh my God, Eren,” Mikasa laughed, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re kids. You’re jumping the gun a little bit.”

“So were we. I can’t have them turning into us.”

Mikasa arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“No, I just mean, do you really want this.” He quickly gestured his hand between them. “For them?”

“Oh, no, go ahead, Eren, just keep digging yourself deeper.”

“Mikasa,” he said, fully aware of the slight whine to his tone. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Just let it go,” she said as she tilted his head down, making him look at her. “It was always bound to happen being close in age, and always being around each other. You know how that’s like.”

“You really aren’t reassuring me at all.”

“I’m not trying to because you’re being ridiculous.”

He sighed looking back over to the two kids sitting happily under the tree. Okay, so there were worse things that could happen in life; he saw the people who came in through his doors, always dreading the day he recognized the face on the stretcher.

“Daddy!”

Before Eren could even react there was Riley running towards him, her hair and bathing suit dripping water as she ran across the porch towards him. He braced himself for the sudden impact of cold and wet and swung her up in his arms. Her body was enough to effectively soak his entire shirt let alone her wet head nuzzling against his shoulder. Yep, he was gonna have to try and borrow Armin’s clothes again.

“Hey, Ry,” he said instead, pressing a few kisses to her head while Mikasa watched on in amusement.

As wet as he now was, these were the moments he loved. He just wanted time to just freeze for a little bit longer.

It never did of course. Eren felt like he went to bed one day, saying goodnight to his thirteen year old daughter, and woke up to Nicolas pounding on the bathroom door down the hall yelling at the sixteen year old Isabelle to get her ass out already.

How did time seem to go by in the blink of an eye? And how did they get louder than they were as babies? Eren didn’t have any answers, and Mikasa’s only answer was “That’s life” which was true but it’s not like he really appreciated it. It wasn’t like he was ungrateful. His kids were great.

Even as Eren stood in the kitchen on a lazy Friday afternoon cutting up vegetables and listening for the timer to go off on the oven, Nicolas was upstairs in his room with Spencer and Ben probably playing copious amounts of video games while Isabelle got ready to go wherever she was going tonight (as Eren assumed she was it being Friday night) and Riley sat at the other side of the kitchen counter reading her book quietly. They were all very good kids despite having his genes as his mother liked to say.

“Daddy, did you know that Arctic Foxes can survive in temperatures as low as negative fifty-eight degrees?” Riley asked.

Eren turned his head from the food to look over at her. She was giving him an inquisitive look like she really did want to know if he knew as her feet kicked gently against the counter. “I didn’t know that. That’s pretty cold, I’m glad I’m not an Arctic Fox.”

“Mama either,” Riley laughed.

“Oh, definitely not your mother. It’s spring and I bet you anything she’s out in the living room under a few blankets at the least.” He went back to cutting up the sweet potatoes so they could boil up and get soft enough to mash.

“Daddy?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we go to the zoo tomorrow?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t see why not. Go make sure it’s okay with your mom too.”

“Can Maya come? And Lacey?”

Eren turned back around to see eager eyes watching him.  “Well, Lacey has been feeling sick which is why she didn’t come over with Spencer tonight but make sure it’s okay with Mom, and then we’ll see if your friends can come tomorrow too.”

“Okay!” Riley said, jumping off the stool, and running out to the living room where Mikasa was doing some work in between trying to fight off whatever she had come down with these past few days.

He had no sooner turned back to trying to finish cooking dinner when a knock on the wall caught his attention. He turned his head again but this time it was Isabelle standing in the doorway, hair done up and a spring dress on that was just a little bit fancier than just going out for a drive with friends.

“My ride’s here, Dad,” she said, giving him a wave. “I’ll see you when I get home provided you’ve fallen asleep on the couch with Mom again.” That one got a roll of the eyes. “Bye!”

“Hey,” Eren said, dropping his knife so he could turn to face her. “Why isn’t your date coming inside to get you?” He didn’t know it was possible but he was pretty sure he saw Isabelle both lose all color in her face and turn red at the same time.

“It’s…It’s not a date!”

“Iz, I’m not an idiot. The fact your voice just raised a few octaves tells me quite the opposite.”

“He’s just picking me up so we can meet up with other people from school, that’s all!”

Eren crossed his arms against his chest. “So it’s a guy out there then.”

“I…well…c’mon, Dad,” she whined a little. “Can I just leave?”

“Course you can, soon as he comes in here to get you.”

“Can’t you just let me go like a rational parent would?”

“Isabelle, you should know by now rational isn’t always in my dictionary.”

She bit down on her lip, shifting her weight side to side like she was debating to just give in or fight some more. “Mom!” she called instead, turning her head towards the living room.

Okay, he should’ve assumed that was coming; it’s not like his stubborn genes stayed just to him.

“Can you tell Dad to stop acting like it’s the 1950’s?”

“Babe, just let her go,” Mikasa said, but there was something in her tone; a whole lot of amusement, like she was trying not to laugh.

Eren abandoned the sweet potatoes and walked by Isabelle, who promptly followed him into the living room. Mikasa was laying down on the couch, with blankets over her, a few forms and papers resting on her chest and stomach; Riley was sitting by her feet reading yet another book. Miaksa was smiling when he came in, and he knew that look.

“You know who Isabelle is going out with tonight don’t you?” he said pointing a finger at his wife.

“I do,” she said, looking up to meet his eyes. “I was sworn to secrecy under pleas of ‘Please, please, _please_ don’t tell Dad’.”

Eren looked over to Isabelle but she was looking anywhere but at him. “Go on, bring him in or you aren’t leaving.”

“Dad,” she whined, stomping her foot on the ground. “You’re being so unfair!”

“Oh? I’m unfair for wanting to know who my child is leaving with?”

“Mom knows! Isn’t that good enough?”

“No, now go on.” He gestured to the door.

Isabelle watched him to see if he would back down but if she thought she was going to win this stare down she had another thing coming. She let out a frustrated noise before loudly walking to the front door and swinging it open.

“Eren,” Mikasa chuckled. “Do you really wanna know? Or are you just giving her a hard time?”

He felt a smile pulling at his lips. “Little of both.”

“You know all that teasing is gonna get you in trouble one day.”

“C’mon, Mik,” he said, leaning up against the armrest of the couch, her head moving to rest on his thigh. “I had to live in fear of your father for how many years? Oh, it’s finally my turn and I am not missing out on that.”

Riley laughed, placing her book down in her lap. “Grandpa isn’t scary.”

“How do you know, little girl? You weren’t there,” Eren said, sticking his tongue out at her. “Your Grandfather was a cop and I was the kid he knew almost my whole life and I was dating his daughter. It was either run far away or live in fear that he may kill me at any second.”

“You’d never run away,” Riley giggled, leaning her head back against the couch.

Eren rested a hand on Mikasa’s head, gently running his fingers through her hair. “From him maybe, not from your mom. Well, unless she was mad at me too.”

Mikasa reached a hand back to swat at him. Riley looked like she was going to make a comment again but she was cut off by the screen door swinging open and Isabelle walking back in the house, looking no less thrilled then when she left. Stepping in behind her was a very, very familiar face.

Eren was always surprised at just how much Ryan looked like Jean despite them not being biologically related in the least. The mannerisms Eren understood, and Ryan had a lot of them, but the looks too.

“Hi, Ryan,” Riley waved from the couch.

“Hey, Ry,” Ryan gave her a smile despite his fingers fidgeting with the end of his shirt. “Um, hi Aunt Mikasa, Uncle Eren.” He gave Eren a brief look but seemed to quickly look back to Mikasa. “Isabelle said you weren’t feeling well, I hope things are looking better now though.”

Thankfully, it was Marco’s personality Ryan seemed to inherit.

“Oh, yes, much better, thank you.”

“Okay, are we done here can we go?” Isabelle said, still waiting by the door. “Obviously we all know each other.”

“Where’re you going?” Eren asked, completely ignoring his daughter.

“Um, just to the diner down the street,” Ryan said, gesturing a bit nervously to the door. “A bunch of friends were going but I, um, offered to take Isabelle since I can…well, I can drive her.”

“And after?” Eren asked.

“Mom,” Isabelle said, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Sometimes it’s easier to just let him have what he wants, Iz,” Mikasa said, looking back down at her work as Isabelle groaned, clearly frustrated with both her parents.

“Oh, we’ll probably hang out there for a while,” Ryan said. “Maybe go back to my house since the renovation in the basement just got done and there’s lots more space and stuff to do. And, oh, my dads and my brother are home too.”

“And we’re gonna be late for dinner if we don’t leave,” Isabelle chimed in.

“Do you know what time to bring her home by?” Eren asked though in all honesty, he had never given Isabelle a curfew before and wasn’t even sure what time he should make it. Isabelle seemed to know that too when she narrowed her eyes at him for it.

“Um, eleven?” Ryan asked, clearly just guessing and praying he gave the right answer.

Good enough. “Okay, go on then. Have fun.”

Isabelle was practically dragging Ryan out the door as he waved to Riley and Mikasa. The door shut, and soon the sound of a car driving off was even fading.

“She’s going to be so furious with you,” Mikasa said, shaking her head but she still looked like she was trying not to laugh.

“Nah, not if she has a good time tonight. She’ll forget all about it.”

“Are you gonna do that to me too, Daddy?” Riley asked, her eyes peeking over her book.

“No, because you’re never gonna date ever.”

“Eren,” Mikasa rolled her eyes as she reached behind her head to try and hit him in the stomach, a hit she very much landed. “Riley, sweetheart, why don’t you go in the kitchen and call your aunts to see if Maya and Lacey can come over tomorrow.”

“Okay!” She jumped up, grabbing Mikasa’s cellphone off the coffee table and ran right into the kitchen.

“Well,” Mikasa said as she pushed herself up, making room for Eren to sit down on the couch. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ryan that nervous to come over here. He must really like her.”

Eren sat down into the spot next to Mikasa, slipping an arm around her back to pull her in closer to him. “I thought he was gonna throw up,” Eren snorted.

“You had your fun, now leave them alone next time,” Miksasa said, though she was laughing. She rolled her head onto his shoulder, pulling her knees up to rest in his lap.

“No promises.”

She hit him in the chest but he was pretty used to it and caught his hand instead, leaning down to kiss her.

“It’s amazing how fast time goes by, hmm?” she said, her eyes closing when he pulled away.

“God, you’re telling me.” He reached over to the side table where it looked like Mikasa left a glass of water. “But it’s not all bad. You want them to stay kids forever yeah, but it’s nice to see them grow up into such good kids, you know? To know they’re gonna leave the house some day and it’ll just be us again.” He brought the glass to his lips to take a sip. “Can you even imagine that?”

When he looked over at her, she had this strange sort of look in her eyes; it was a mix of her usual amusement, and something like innocence maybe?  Honesty? He really couldn’t place it.

“Eren?”

“Yeah, Mik?”  He brought the cup to his lips again.

“I’m pregnant.”

Eren promptly choked out all the water in his mouth.


	20. Videos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never actually added any more to this AU world past this but reading through it, what a perfect ending for this little family of theirs <3

_**mcpeterism** **:**  Fic request!!!: Eremika and their children watching old home videos together. :3_

* * *

 

Mikasa opened the door of her house to hear a baby crying. It was a strange feeling when her youngest was six and she still had another four months left in her pregnancy before she had to hear a baby in the house again. She didn’t have to wait too long to figure out where the noise was coming from because the moment she closed the door she saw the images on the TV. She saw herself, much younger than she was now and holding Isabelle, who was crying over something, with Eren’s head over Mikasa’s shoulder. Carla was saying something somewhere.

“Hey, Mik,” Eren said from behind her. “I would’ve come and got you, I didn’t know you were still out.”

She turned away from the TV to see Eren sitting in the armchair, dressed in casual clothes meaning he didn’t have to go back to work tonight. “I didn’t even know you were home.”

“Yeah, they actually let me go home for once, imagine that,” he snorted, gesturing for her to come over.

Mikasa dropped her bag by the side of the door, walking the short distance to where Eren was sitting. She sat down between his legs, leaning her back against his chest with a sigh. He reached for the button on the side of the chair, kicking up the leg rest so she could have a little more room before wrapping his arms around her stomach. She was showing now, but at least she wasn’t in the constant discomfort stage yet. That she could wait on.

“Everything go okay?” Eren asked, leaning his face against hers to kiss her cheek.

“Yeah, everything was fine.” Her breath caught in her throat when he ran his hands over her stomach; she almost told him then. Her eyes drifted back to the TV instead. “Is this how you’ve been spending your time off?”

Armin’s face was on the screen now, looking so young and baby faced even in his early twenties. He was holding Isabelle in his arms as she reached up to grab at his longer hair.

“I was looking for something in the study desk,” Eren said. “I found this sitting in a drawer and decided to see what it was. Thankfully it was just old home videos.”

She lightly hit her head against his making him laugh, but she her eyes never left the screen. “It’s so weird.”

“What is? That Armin never went back to that bowl cut he had when he was a kid?”

“It seems like it was so long ago, but at the same time it seems like Isabelle was a baby yesterday.”

“That’s cause you haven’t aged a day, baby.”

“Knock it off,” she snorted. “More like it’s just like nothing’s changed. I’m still having your kids.”

“Would you like that to change?”

She turned her head to look at him, his eyebrows arched but the smile on his lips was the same. He hadn’t changed too much either. He looked a little older, a little more tired but he was still the same nine year old boy she always knew. “Not particularly, no.”

“That’s good, cause you’re stuck with me and all our kids.”  He leaned in to kiss her but a sharp, shrill cry from the screen made him jump back slightly. “Christ, I forgot Iz could scream like that. I’m so happy we have it recorded to hear for all eternity.”

“Nic was such a quieter baby,” Mikasa said, leaning her head back against Eren’s shoulder and eyes drifting back to the screen.

“Baby, not child. I’m pretty sure I apologized to my mom every day for having to raise me after I got a taste of it.”

“I thought you were worse as a kid.”

“Thanks, Mikasa, you’re too kind.”

“You didn’t listen to anyone but yourself and occasionally me and Armin. Nicolas at least did what he was told.”

“That’s because we lived it, we already knew what to do to get him to listen. You had plenty of practice on me.”

The video switched to some place new, it looked like the back yard of their first house. Isabelle was a little bit older, playing in the sandbox with Eren.

“She always looked like you,” Mikasa said, a smile pulling at her lips. “She’s always had your eyes, your face, your hair.”

“My stubborn nature,” he snorted.

“That’s true too.”

Isabelle laughed on the TV when Eren poured some of the sand on her legs, little feet kicking, and toothy grin wide. Mikasa felt the familiar choked feeling in her throat and she knew it was partly because she had quite a bit of extra hormones floating around in her now.

“Can you believe she’s gonna graduate from high school soon?”

“God, don’t remind me. I still remember holding her for the first time in the hospital, the fact she’s going to go to college soon is almost incomprehensible.”

The screen changed again but this time it was at the house Eren grew up in, the room filled with all their friends loudly talking to each other. Streamers where hanging up, presents piled on a nearby table, food everywhere.

“Was this her second birthday party?” Eren asked, leaning forward a bit to get a better look.

Isabelle was propped up on Carla’s hip while she talked to Jean. “She looks a little older than that.”

“Oh wait, it’s her third, you’re pregnant.” He pointed at the screen in the corner where Sasha was rubbing Mikasa’s swollen stomach.

“I can’t ever escape,” she said as she ran her hand over her stomach now. Admittedly she was a little concerned (and frankly pretty surprised) when she first found out. While she prided herself on never letting an age number stop her from doing anything she wanted, she wasn’t as young as she used to be. Her oldest would be leaving the house soon, Nicolas following not too far behind. Riley was still young but she was in first grade already, and here Mikasa was having another baby to raise. Once Eren got over the initial shock, he was more than happy with it which did help her feel a lot better with it all.

Maybe that was part of why he put the videos on today of all days. This was gonna be their life again and really, that was okay. If Mikasa was being honest she missed the little clothes, the small hands and feet, someone small to hold and care for.

Isabelle attempted to blow out her candles on the screen but needed some help from Connie behind her. The video cut once more to Mikasa but here she was hunched over, holding Nicolas’ fingers above his head as he took a few exaggerated steps across the floor. Even then he had a full head of hair, making him look exactly like his father. Sasha was shouting some encouraging words off screen, making Nic laugh and kick his feet as he walked.

“There’s my boy,” Eren said. “Hopefully we’ve got another one in there.” He tapped at her stomach. “We’ve been out numbered for far too long.”

“Oh stop, you love having girls.”

“Well, true enough but that doesn’t mean I don’t wanna have another boy.”

Mikasa turned her head towards him. “Are you ready for baby’s first everything all over again?”

“Oh yeah. I mean I know it’s not always an easy time, I’m pretty sure I didn’t sleep more than an hour a night when Riley was a baby but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy those little chubby cheeks and grabby hands. Okay, maybe save for baby’s first throw up all over Dad’s face. We can skip that one and anything resembling it.”

Mikasa chuckled as she turned back to the TV, Nicolas falling into Sasha’s arms as he laughed. “Good luck with that, babe.”

The front door swung open, Riley bounding in with a book clutched to her chest and her backpack bouncing on her back.

“Hello!” she said, running over to throw her arms around Eren and Mikasa as best she could from the side of the arm chair.

“Hey, kid, have a good day at school?” Eren asked as she plopped down on the couch next to them.

Riley nodded. “Yeah, it was good.”

“What’re you watching?” Nicolas asked, stopping by the stairs towards the back of the room.

“That’s you,” Mikasa said, pointing towards the screen where Nic was shoving his face with pasta while Armin laughed in the chair next to him.

“Why,” Nic groaned, his eyes looking a little grim behind his glasses. “That’s so not fair.”

“It’s plenty fair, Isabelle is there too,” Eren said as the camera panned over the table, Isabelle not looking very pleased at whatever was on her plate. “Oh, and here it comes. I can count it down at this point in my life.”

“Here what comes?” Isabelle asked, stepping into the house last as she dropped her backpack and shut the door.

“Your meltdown,” Mikasa said.

Isabelle looked to the screen where her much younger face was scrunched up and red, tears already starting to form. She hit her hands against the counter in frustration. “Well, what did you expect? Look what you’re making me eat,” she said, sitting down on the other side of the couch. “Nicolas got spaghetti and you gave me vegetables.”

“You already ate your spaghetti,” Mikasa said. “And didn’t want to eat the rest of your plate. You also had a bad habit of not liking it when anyone paid attention to your brother and not you.”

“Thanks, Iz,” Nic rolled his eyes. “Real loving big sister.”

“Shut up. I love you now, kid. That’s what matters.”

“Here it comes, ready?” Eren said, and sure enough Isabelle started to wail on the top of her lungs.

“Wow, Izzy, you always were loud weren’t you,” Riley said, scrunching her face.

“And you think you were quiet?” Iz snorted, reaching over to push Riley’s head lightly making her laugh.

The video cut to a much more formal setting, people dancing outside under decorations and lanterns.

“Where was this?” Nicolas asked.

“Armin and Annie’s wedding,” Eren said. “You were the ring bearer, remember?”

“Oh, yeah, I guess I just didn’t recognize the reception.”

“That’s cause you slept through it,” Isabelle said. “Look, there you are.” She pointed at the screen and there was Carla sitting down with Nicolas, in his small suit, passed out against her.

Nic snorted. “Carrying a ring was hard work.”

“Is that you, Izzy?” Riley asked pointing towards the TV where Isabelle, all dressed up as the flower girl was dancing on Armin’s shoes.

“That’s me alright,” she said, draping her arm over Riley’s shoulder as the younger girl leaned up against Iz. “I didn’t make it all the way through the night either so don’t feel bad, Nic.”

“I’m fairly sure I barely made it through the night,” Eren said.

“That’s because you and the boys hit the bar a little too hard,” Mikasa said, a smile pulling at her lips when she spotted herself dancing with Eren towards the edge of the floor.

“What a night,” he sighed happily at the memory.

The TV screen got bright as the scene switched to Carla and Grisha’s back yard, the sun shining down.

“Oh look!” Riley exclaimed. “That’s Maya in the pool! With Aunt Ymir and Aunt Historia.”

“And Uncle Connie sleeping on in the beach chairs as per usual,” Nic said.

It looked like everyone was there; it must’ve been a holiday or something. Sasha was leaning over the railing yelling at Spencer who was getting into something he shouldn’t have, while Nic chased Isabelle around in a game of tag with Eren, Armin, and Jean.

“There’s Ben when he was a baby too,” Mikasa said spotting Annie sitting near the pool with a bundle in her arms.

“Where’s me?” Riley asked, squinting her eyes to get a better look.

Eren absentmindedly ran his fingers up and down Mikasa’s sides. “I don’t think you were born yet, little girl,” he said causing her lip to stick out in a pout.

“You all had fun without me.”

“Don’t be dramatic,” Isabelle said, tapping Riley on the arm. “We had plenty of fun when after you were born too.”

“Once you stopped crying all night,” Nic grunted.

“Oh, don’t even, buddy,” Eren snorted. “You keep us up all night when you were a toddler cause you couldn’t sleep in your room.”

“That doesn’t count!”

Eren reached over for the small throw pillow on the couch, tossing it towards Nic and making him laugh. “I lost sleep, it counts.”

The scene changed again, this time showing a much older Isabelle and Nicolas sitting next to a carrier with a small baby sleeping in it.

“There you are, Ry,” Mikasa said, trying not to feel the sudden wave of emotions at seeing that small little baby.

“I was so small,” she giggled.

“That’s cause you were born so early,” Eren said, leaning in to kiss Mikasa on the head. “You just couldn’t wait to be with us.”

Riley on the screen started to squirm in her carrier so Isabelle reached over to rock the carrier, watching her little sister intently. Nicolas grabbed a stuffed animal from nearby and tucked it next to her. They were young enough to not know what went on, but old enough to know the baby they were waiting for to come home wasn’t all well.

It had been a bit of a hard time with Riley. Mikasa’s pregnancy was rough, and then Riley came so early she couldn’t even come home right away. Her health got better as she got older but she still got sick easier than her brother and sister. It was the thing that worried Mikasa the most when she found out she was pregnant again, was it even safe for her to have another child? The doctor told her everything was fine, but it was something she always had in the back of her mind.

Eren pressed his head on her shoulder, leaning his head into hers and holding her a little closer as if he was reading her mind. “She always did look like you, even when she was a baby.”

“We have the same hair,” Riley said, reaching back to tug at her ponytail.

“And face and eyes too.” Isabelle reached over to pinch Riley’s cheek making her try and squirm away. “Hey, speaking of babies, did everything go okay with the doctor, Mom?”

“Oh!” Mikasa felt a jolt go through her body. She almost forgot. “Yeah, she said everything was looking okay for both of us.”

“I still can’t believe you’re having another baby.”

A smile twitched at Mikasa’s lips. “I’m not that old, it’s still possible you know.”

“No, I mean I know that. I just meant like…” Isabelle wrinkled her nose. “Was it like Dad’s birthday or something.”

Eren snorted so loud Mikasa thought he was going to choke. “Isabelle, if the doctor hadn’t told us I couldn’t have told you what day it happened on.”

Iz stood up from the couch. “You know what, I’m one hundred percent done with this conversation. I’m going upstairs now.”

Mikasa rolled her eyes as Eren was still laughing behind her. “We’re gonna order out dinner tonight so let me know what you guys want.”

Isabelle waved her hand in acknowledgement but headed up the stairs with Nicolas trailing behind.

“I want pizza,” Riley said, adjusting her backpack as she stood up.

“Alright, sweetheart, why don’t you go up and start your homework,” Mikasa said.

Riley nodded and hurried up the steps after her siblings.

“You’re terrible,” Mikasa said, turning to look at Eren whose eyes were bright with amusement.

“Hey, she started it, I only answered honestly.”

Mikasa had forgotten for a bit while she got distracted with the videos but now it was bubbling up in her, she had to say something. “Wanna know the sex of the baby?”

Eren did choke that time. “Wait, you know?”

“The nurse said she could tell and asked if I wanted to know, so I thought I’d surprise you.”

His smile was so bright it nearly took Mikasa’s breath away. “Lay it on me.”

“It’s a girl.”

Eren watched her for a moment before he started to laugh. “Of course she is, why wouldn’t she be?” He leaned in to Mikasa, rubbing one of his hands over her belly. “Hello, little girl. Lucky for you we’re experts at taking care of girls.” He was teasing, but the fondness in his voice, in his eyes made Mikasa’s heart melt.

“Are you sure you’re ready to do this all over again?”

“Absolutely.” Eren leaned in to kiss her. “We make the best team, you know.”

She rested her head back against his shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too, nothing’s changed.” He gave her a wink before tilting his head back to the stairs. “Hey, Nicolas!”

“Yeah, Dad?” he answered, voice getting closer when he stuck his head out of his room.

“Sorry, buddy, it’s just gonna be me and you again.”

“Wait, it’s a girl!?”

His footsteps were first but the girls must’ve heard too cause they all came running down the stairs. Mikasa had to laugh as she watched them all come around where she was sitting. Riley was saying hi to the baby, her hands reaching out to Mikasa’s stomach while Nicolas as giving the best girl names he could think of and Isabelle was already planning the baby’s room.

On the TV in the background she saw her kids, though much younger, playing together in Grisha’s pool with herself and Eren sitting on the edge watching over them.

Everything would be okay.

 


End file.
